Broken Rosary
by AnimaRosa
Summary: Black Hat finds a human determined on destroying the oppressive Church and offers her the power to do so; someone to assist him in his mission to cleanse the corrupted world they live in. Black Hat/OC.
1. Goodbye Magdalene

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 1: Goodbye Magdalene<strong>

They had finally arrived in Magdalene. The small town was silent, the residents inside their homes already sleeping. Black Hat smelled the air, picking up the scents of the men he intended to kill, and smirked when he confirmed that they were still in this town. He walked silently into the town, moving through the dark alleys, not wanting to alert anyone to his presence. As he walked he felt the vampires under the earth moving through the tunnels, following him.

Finally, he arrived at the building where the churchmen were staying. It was an old mansion, it's surrounding decorated by religious elements. He stepped forward towards the large double doors of the entrance and forced them open easily. As soon as he stepped in and closed the door behind him a scrawny looking young man stepped quickly down the stairs that led to the second floor of the mansion.

"Excuse me, sir, you're not supposed to come in here, sightseeing is closed for the night," the young man said in a cowardly voice trying to usher Black Hat away.

He smirked and struck out his hand to the young man's throat, breaking it in the process. "Its time, let's go," and with that the vampires broke through the marble floor. He followed the churchmen's scent up the stairs as the vampires followed, growling in hunger behind him. "Soon enough."

One of the doors bolted open, a woman in lingerie stepping out and screaming as soon as she saw the creatures approaching. She was killed instantly as the vampires lunged at her and entered the room. Another scream was heard from inside as some of the other doors from the other rooms began opening, obviously alerted by the now dead screams and growls.

_'Disgusting, they truly are disgusting hypocrites_,_'_ Black Hat thought at the fact that the churchmen were paying whores to sleep with them. He went straight to the door at the end of the hallway, smelling the scent of the man he specifically wanted to kill, ignoring the carnage of the other churchmen and whores as he passed the rooms. He kicked the door open and saw two women, one naked and the other in lingerie, both screaming and cowering away in a corner. He then turned his attention to the man he had come here for.

"Father Barnabas," he smirked as he stepped towards the man cowering half naked against a wall. "How ironic, that the man who bared witness to my vows would be breaking his own vows of celibacy, with whores nonetheless."

"L-L-Lucas?" the man stuttered in fear. "But, you died...Isaac saw you f-f-f-fall, he tried to save you."

"No. I was simply transformed, not killed," he explained as he heard the two women in the room screaming in agony as a pair of vampires stepped into the room and dragged their bodies out of the room, leaving him alone with Father Barnabas. "You, on the other hand, are not going anywhere, Father."

"No! Please, please I'm begging you, Lucas, begging you! Don't kill me! I'll repent for my sins, but please!" the pathetic man dropped to his knees, grasping one of Black Hat's boots and crying against it.

"Sorry, but the name's Black Hat now," he replied as he kicked him off, sending him flying through the air until he hit the wall. Black Hat stepped forward and grabbed Barnabas by the neck pulling him up until his feet dangled off the floor and he began choking. "Goodbye," was all Black Hat said before he bore out his fangs and dug them into Barnabas neck. However, he was momentarily distracted when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone crash in through the window with a dagger in hand. He quickly bit at Barnabas jugular vein and pulled, ripping off the skin and releasing him, letting him bleed to death. The person, a young woman, charged running towards him, dagger ready to strike.

"He was mine!" she managed to yell before a vampire quickly entered the room and jumped on her before she could cross the room to reach him. A sickening crack was heard as the vampire landed with his full body weight on top of the woman's small frame and instantly dug its large fangs into the woman's neck, eliciting scream of pain out of her.

"Stop!" Black Hat barked at the vampire as he stepped behind it in an instant and pulled it off of the woman who had been trying to push it off. "Why would you try such a foolish attack?" he asked her out of pure curiosity, wondering if she was here for the same reasons he was.

Blood gurgled out of her mouth as she held the gashing wound on the junction between her neck and shoulder. "Guh! Y-y-you...took my target!" she managed to spit out through the pain and the blood she was vomiting.

He gave her a curious look and crouched down next to her. "Your target was that bastard from the Church, Father Barnabas?" she nodded and he continued. "Sorry if I got in the way of your personal vendetta, girl, but I got my own issues against the Church to worry about."

She shook her head in an almost twitching manner, he thought she might be convulsing. "N-no...Ch-church needs...to be...brought down!" she gurgled out as she continued to apply pressure to her wound. "Too...m-m-many cowards...won't...rebel..."

He frowned at this. Sure the people of the Wastelands were slowly losing their faith on the Church, but they just stood by idly, not even bothering to question the Church's authority head on. But he saw determination and loathe in those light blue eyes. Those eyes were old, even though the young woman couldn't have been older than 26 years of age. He could have her as a familiar to join his mission. No, not a familiar, familiars willingly became vampire slaves out of cowardice. They hated the Church, but they weren't active against it.

"Do you fear the vampires, child?" he finally asked her.

She shook her head and gave him a brief answer. "F-f-fear...t-the Church m-m-more..."

He smirked before asking her. "How does a second chance at getting back at the Church sound for you?"

Her mouth gaped open and trembled as she stared into his yellow eyes. She tried to speak but only a cough of blood came out. She brought her gaze back to his eyes and gave him a trembling nod.

That was the only answer he needed, that and the look in her eyes. The look of determination to bring down the Church at any cost. He brought her into his arms carefully and cradled her against his chest. "I'll take you to see the Queen. I can't guarantee that you'll live though."

She gave him another nod in understanding and her eyes told him she had already accepted death if it came for her. In fact, he could tell that she really didn't know what she was agreeing to, but being offered an opportunity to go against the Church seemed too much of a tempting offer for her.

* * *

><p>He gently placed her trembling body on the very pedestal where he had been turned 6 years ago. She was almost catatonic from her loss of blood and simply stared up awaiting the Queen. Several curious vampires came closer to inspect the young woman, her blood enticing them, but Black Hat gave them a warning growl so they kept their distance. He waited for the Queen as he silently requested her presence in his mind. Several moments later all the vampires scurried back into their holes as the Queen came out of hiding and stood tall before Black Hat and the dying woman. The Queen, however, did nothing; it was as if she were expecting something.<p>

"She might be useful to me, but not as a familiar," he began explaining. "She shares my hate for the Church and I found her actively seeking the deaths of churchmen."

The Queen tilted her head as she hovered now over the young woman. She turned her eyeless gaze back to Black Hat as if she were communicating something to him.

"Perhaps," he responded to the word that the Queen resonated in his mind: _mate_. "But I have no intentions for the moment. I merely desire a right-hand in my mission."

The Queen turned back to the woman now and leaned closer to see if she got a negative reaction from her. The woman did nothing. She merely stared for a moment with wide eyes at the creature before her and then merely stared blankly. It was then that the Queen brought one of her clawed hands above the woman's face and sliced open her wrist, letting the blood flow into the woman's gaping mouth. Nothing happened at first, but then the woman gasped loudly and her back arched off the pedestal. Black Hat watched as she choked on drinking the Queen's blood. It made him remember his own transformation, only now he was watching it happen and not feeling it happen. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head then as blood kept flowing into her mouth and after a few seconds they rolled back. But something had changed; her former light-blue eyes were now yellow, just a shade lighter than Black Hat's. The Queen stopped feeding her blood then and, with a brief acknowledgement towards Black Hat, retreated back into her hiding place.

Black Hat stepped forward until he stood next to the woman by the pedestal. The change was already taking place. He saw her body tremble and convulse as it went through the change. Her eyes were wide and her jaw set as she groaned and choked through the pain, her muscles flexing and contracting with the spasms that shook her body.

"The pain is almost unbearable," he began explaining, even though she probably wasn't listening. "But after it passes you won't go through any similar pain like it again. You will be powerful. Far more powerful than a priest."


	2. Show me your teeth

**A/N:** Thanks to the people who reviewed, reviews are always appreciated and I accept constructive criticism as well, it helps. I usually don't write this fast, but somehow between all the stress from college finals and writing other papers I managed to do it. So here it goes!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 2: Show me your teeth<strong>

Her eyes opened to the sun's rays hitting her eyes. Groaning, she sat up and brought her hands to rub at her eyes before she took in her strange surroundings. She was lying in a large bed in a simple room, quite similar to a hotel room.

_'Where am I?'_ she wondered when she didn't quite remember what had happened. Somehow, she felt different, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. Suddenly, she remembered that she had set out to assassinate Father Barnabas. She recalled silently following him and his troupe, but everything after that was missing. Panicking, thinking she had been found and taken hostage, she stood up from the bed she had been lying on and considered frantically her way of escaping. Her plan was quickly put on halt as she heard heavy footsteps approaching the door. Without over thinking it, she went straight under the bed hoping that, whoever it was, was stupid enough to think that she had already escaped.

Black boots came into her view as the door opened and she held her breath, which she found strangely easy to do. She saw the person wander casually around the room without uttering a single word. The boots then stopped right in front of her and she thought for a moment that she might be pulled out from under bed. But then the boots turn around and with that the person made to exit the room. She almost sighed in relief when she felt two strong hands wrap around her ankles and pull her out from under the bed.

"No! Ah!" she screamed furiously as she clawed at the floor with all her might. She halted her clawing at the floor when she noticed that she actually had _claws_, her fingernails sharp and curved, and that they had actually clawed through the wooden floor. In her surprise, her attacker finally pulled her out from under the bed and she fought back angrily as he wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her to her feet. "Let go!"

The man held fast to her as she trashed savagely around when both his arms enclosed her frame, trapping her arms. The back of her head connected with his nose, but, other than eliciting a groan of pain from him, it didn't do any good. She was then flung forcefully against the bed and in less than a second her attacker was above her holding her down with the weight of his body while pinning her arms above her head in an iron grip.

"Relax! Calm down!" he growled as she trashed under him. "Look at me!"

Snarling at him she met his eyes briefly. Yellow eyes. His gaze held hers and she stopped trashing around momentarily as she examined his face. His nose was bloody, so she did do damage after all. But she noticed something else. "Priest," she gasped when she saw the cross tattoo.

"Not anymore," he responded and the fangs she noticed in his mouth as he spoke surprised her. "Now, I need you to calm down."

"Who are you?" she asked through gritted teeth. "Where am I? _What_ are you?"

"If you promise to stay calm I'll tell you. There's no reason for alarm, after all I'm not with the Church and you chose this willingly," he replied calmly.

Confusion came to her at his last statement. Strangely, she did feel like she had seen him before and that she had somehow agreed to something, even though she couldn't remember what it was. Well, she might as well calm down; after all, if he were with the Church she would have been caged right now, no reason to keep a prisoner around without some kind of imprisonment. "Fine. Fine. I'll be calm and listen."

He sighed in relief and carefully released her arms as he got off of her and stood up. Standing up as well, she carefully watched him just in case he tried anything funny, and leaned against the wall by the window next to the bed.

"I'm Black Hat-"

"Is that even a name?" she quickly cut him off but then regretted it when he scowled at her. "Sorry, go on."

"My _real_ name is Lucas," he explained, pausing to clean his bloody nose with his coat's sleeve. "As to where you are, you are in a safe house in Jordan."

"Jordan," she whispered. She had never been so far into the Wastelands; Jordan was one of the border towns closest to the reservations and hives. Last she knew Jordan was just a ghost town. For some reason, she didn't feel the pressure to question Black Hat further, even though she still couldn't recall what had happened. Right now she was more interested in her nails and the strange shape they had taken.

"Still don't remember what happened?" he asked, snapping her out of her thoughts. She looked up at him; her brow furrowed and shook her head. "Maybe you should look at yourself in the mirror."

Giving him a strange look, she cautiously walked past him and went straight to the mirror he had pointed to. She gasped loudly when strange eyes met her where her light-blue ones should have been. She turned away from the woman in the mirror briefly and went back to it, pulling her dirty-blonde hair away from her face as she did a double take at those strange yellow eyes, much like Black Hat's. "What the fuck?" But surprise turned to shock when she noticed something off in her mouth when she spoke. Opening her mouth and baring her teeth she yelped in shock, backing away from the mirror. She had fangs.

"You're like me now, my same kind," he explained and she whirled around at the sound of his voice, staring up at him with wild and wide eyes.

"What?" she asked as she shook her head, not clearly understanding what he meant. "Why the bloody hell do I have eyes and fangs like you? Please just tell me what happened!"

"You'll eventually remember, but long story short, I was hunting in Magdalene, hunting for churchmen specifically, when I killed the churchmen in that town, one of which was an assassination target of yours," he explained calmly as he sat cross legged on a chair standing across from the mirror. "It seemed you were so upset about it that you tried to attack me, but one of the vampires got to you before you could even reach me, almost killing you in the process had I not stopped it."

She considered it for a moment and closed her eyes trying to spark her memory. Yes, they were fragments but there was definitely something there. There was screaming...and there was blood..._her_ blood. Her hand went reflexively to the junction between her neck and shoulder on her left side. She opened her eyes and stared at him. "You offered me something...you told me I might not survive...what did you offer me? What was it that I might not survive?"

He stayed silent for a moment as he gave her a smirk before he answered. "When I told you that you're now like me, my same kind, I meant that you are now a human-vampire hybrid. The second of our kind, might I add. It is why our eyes are the same and why you have fangs like I do."

She stared incredulously at him. Human-vampire? Why hadn't she heard of that before? He did tell her she was the second of this kind, did that mean it was a new species? "H-how is that even possible?"

"The Queen's blood," he replied as he stood up and towered over her small frame, staring down into the yellow eyes just a shade lighter than his. "She accepted you, deemed you worthy to transform you into a hybrid. I offered you this so you would have a second chance to fight the Church," he brought a finger under her chin and she posed no protest, seeming too entranced by the information she was receiving. "You willingly accepted my offer and the Queen's blood."

She stepped back from him until she hit the wall behind her and allowed herself to slide down against it to sit on the floor. "You're talking about the vampire queen?"

"Of course," he replied as he stepped forward and crouched down in front of her. "Are you afraid?"

That probably explained a lot. The fangs, the eyes, the claws, and the surge of power she felt in her veins. She still had a heartbeat though, which was weird considering they were thought that vampires were heartless creatures. "No, just give me a second. It's not every day I get turned into a hybrid species," she responded as she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, closing her eyes as she did so. "Why do I still have a heartbeat though?"

"The Church says vampires are heartless, that their hearts are dead. They just mean it in a metaphorical sense. We still need the blood to get pumped through our bodies, it's simple biology, but of course the Church wouldn't want a comparison of human biology to vampire biology," he explained with a smirk.

Nodding she kept silent as she allowed her memories to slowly return. Just when she was remembering that a strange creature had hovered above her and fed her blood, a knock came to the door, startling her as Black Hat groaned and stood up.

"What is it?" he asked loudly in annoyance.

"Master, there's a man who says he has information on the current course of the second missionary troupe," a man's voice rang through the door.

"I'll be down in a moment," he replied before he turned to her and offered her a hand to help her up. She took it and he easily pulled her to her feet, yet he didn't release her hand as he held it between, his thumb stroking small circles on the back of her hand. "Where are my manners? I forgot to ask you your name."

"Marion," she quickly answered. "My name is Marion."

He smiled and brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it. "A pleasure. Now, let's see what new information we have on the churchmen, shall we?" he offered his arm out in invitation.

She was surprised by his charm, but nodded nonetheless, taking his arm and allowing him to escort her. He stopped briefly by the door, grabbing a black hat from the coat stand. He paused, however, when he seemed to have remembered something and went through one of his coat pockets digging out something. "I believe this is yours," he told her as he presented her with a familiar rosary. "You had it wrapped around your wrist."

"My rosary!" she said as he placed it on her free hand. Closing her hand around it she sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"That's a strange rosary, though, I have never seen one like it," Black Hat mentioned as he stared at the amber prayer beads with a tassel held by a larger onyx bead.

She considered it for a moment as she briefly released his arm to wrap the rosary around her left wrist before answering him. "It's a Buddhist rosary, from a dead religion. My father gave it to me."

But it wasn't just a gift from her father. It was also a sign of resistance against the Church, a sign of defiance against a totalitarian religion.


	3. Of ghosts and killers

**A/N:** Thanks for the lovely reviews, I really appreciate it! As always, constructive criticism is much appreciated. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter, this one is longer.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 3: Of ghosts and killers<strong>

He escorted her in silence through a dark hallway and down some run down stairs leading to a common room. Indeed, as she had suspected, the place was an old, abandoned hotel. Old wallpaper barely clung to the dank walls and on the lobby there was what used to be a bar with a sitting area, the chairs worn down by years of abandonment. Black Hat led her to a room in the back, beyond the bar and sitting area, where a strange, bald man with almost transparent blue eyes held the door open. Marion had seen them before, realizing that he was a Familiar. A round table was in the middle of that room, with a middle-aged man sitting on one of the chairs, fiddling nervously with some papers he held in his hands. He stared at Marion as Black Hat led her to a chair across from the man and held out a chair for her. She looked at him questioningly for his seemingly gentlemanly actions, but took the seat either way, allowing him to accommodate the chair for her as she did so. He sat by her left and placed his hands in front of him, lacing his fingers together, his hat hiding half his face from the man sitting across them.

But something seemed different for Marion. The instant she walked into that room she picked up a strange scent, a scent that beckoned her to follow it. Her mouth watered and her nostrils flared, and she suddenly found herself _wanting_ and _needing_ to bite the man's neck. Realization dawned upon her when she noticed that it was blood what she smelled, it was blood what she wanted from this man, to feed off of him.

None spoke for a few moments, until the middle-aged man cleared his throat when he realized Black Hat was waiting for him to speak.

"Well, first of all, it's good to see you again, Black Hat," the man fidgeted as he ran a hand through his dark, greasy hair, giving a Marion a pointed look before he continued. "I-I-I see you have some very lovely company."

"Frank, you know how thin my patience gets when you don't get down to business right away," Black Hat responded in a warning tone. Marion, however, wasn't interested in the way the man ogled her, she was more interested in keeping her composure as she held back her desire to kill the man and drink his blood. Black Hat seemed to notice and leaned close to her, whispering against her ear briefly before the man spoke again. "Don't worry, soon enough you may have him," she shivered at this, but was secretly glad that he knew what was happening to her and was giving her a free go at killing the man once he finished speaking with him. The whisper seemed to have been low enough for Frank not to hear, because he didn't react to it; instead he just raised an eyebrow but didn't seem worried.

"Ah, umm, yes, you see the second missionary troupe is heading to Leona in a week's time," Frank placed the papers he held in his hands before Black Hat so that he may read them. "I-I intercepted those letters in Caleb, it's an announcement for the public service they will hold in Leona."

Black Hat took the papers and read them with a rather uninterested expression. Marion, on other hand, brought one of her hands to the table, her claws digging into the wood as she clenched and unclenched her hand from the tension and pressure she was feeling. Black Hat noticed this and placed a hand over her tense one, closing it around hers as if he were telling her to hold back. All the while, Frank stared nervously at Marion; suddenly realizing that perhaps the girl he was staring at wasn't an innocent companion to Black Hat.

"Eh, I should mention that they're not staying on the towns at night," Frank began speaking again when he found his voice. "They travel by desert trucks at night. Apparently they mount their own camps at night complete with guards...It seems that the disappearance of Father Barnabas and his troupe made them wary. People are suspecting that it was a new band of killers or that perhaps Ghost has contracted the assistance of other killers."

At this bit of information Black Hat gave Marion a sideways glance. He wondered; was she this Ghost Frank spoke of? He had heard of an assassin taking out certain people associated with the Church and people of power. But he hadn't considered that perhaps Marion could be that assassin, and that maybe that night when he killed Barnabas she was about to kill her first target who was actually a member of the Church.

Frank cleared his throat when Black Hat didn't respond. "Umm, I-I-I hopes this information was valuable for you, Black Hat."

Black Hat smirked in amusement before he responded. "Of course. And you shall receive proper payment for your contribution." He turned to Marion then, nudging her to get her attention and, when she looked at him, he cocked his head towards Frank as if to say 'Go ahead'. She nodded once in understanding and stood up.

Frank was fidgeting more nervously now as Marion walked in a predatory manner around the table until she was right next to him. "Oh, umm, I didn't think I would re-receive this _kind_ of compensation," he said with obvious nervousness in his voice. She brought a hand up to the man's face and traced it down to his neck, where her gaze was glued. The man grinned for a moment, but it was short lived, for in the blink of an eye she had pulled him up into the air by his neck and threw him against the table. An instant later she let out a snarl and bit into his neck with her fangs. She latched on, letting the blood rush into her mouth and she felt energy rush into her body, awakening every part of her body as if blood was her elixir. In her desperation to drink his blood, however, she hadn't noticed that she had kept a hand gripping the back of his neck, not realizing it until she tightened her grip and heard a crunch of bones. It was then that the body under her went limp as she finished drinking his blood and she forced herself to release him, crashing against the wall with shock etched in her features, staring at the bloody body of the now lifeless man lying on the table.

Black Hat smirked as he observed her. Her dirty blonde shoulder length hair a matted and now bloody mess; the surrounding area of her mouth was spotted with blood, and her yellow eyes wide in shock. He was expecting her to be shocked; actually, it had happened to him as well when he fed the first time. He hadn't understood how strongly he could be driven to feed from a human, to drink blood for sustainment.

"Never killed a man before?" he asked her, though something told him that she already had, based on his earlier suspicion. He stepped closer to her as he examined her carefully.

She whipped her head up at him, looking at him with wide eyes. "No...I mean, yes, I've...killed before. Just never..."

"Fed from a human before?" he finished for her, bringing a thumb to the corner of her mouth and cleaning away a smudge of blood. She slapped his hand away with a snarl, throwing a scowl his way. That didn't stop him from bringing his thumb into his mouth to lick it clean, looking at her teasingly even as she gave him a venomous glare. He knew he was nerving her off by not allowing her to digest her new nature in peace and without some teasing.

Growling, she brought her hands to her hair, grabbing at it and hiding her face in her arms as she crouched down on the floor in frustration. She rocked herself on her feet as she tried to digest the whole situation. Even if she had agreed to it, she had done it without knowing what it was, and though the new power she had was tempting it was still hard to cope with the fact that her whole nature had changed.

Black Hat figured it was about time to stop teasing her and actually do something. He crouched down next to her and placed a sympathetic hand on her back when he felt tremors rocking through her. _'Oh no,'_ he thought in dismay. _'This could be bad.'_ When she saw her face she was sure to freak out. "Hey, come on, you need to get cleaned up, you were out cold for 4 days before you woke up. Not to mention you're a bloody mess."

It seemed she was ashamed of her crying, as she didn't raise her face to look at him. Sniffling, she brought a hand to clean her tears, raising her head as she did so. She brought her hand back and let out a surprised yelp as she saw that it was stained with fresh blood. "Shit! What the..."

"You should calm down," he suggested as he took her by the shoulders and pulled her up against her protests, seeming more interested as to why she was crying blood. "I was going to tell you that we cry blood, but I wasn't expecting you to cry right now."

"Damn it all..." she cursed under her breath as she continued cleaning her face with the back of her hands while he brought an arm around her, walking with her and leading her back to the upper floor. Now that she thought about it, a nice long bath might be what she needs right now.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting just as they arrived at the outskirts of Leona. Getting off of their bikes, they took off their goggles and began walking into the desert, away from the town. Earlier they had confirmed that the missionaries had been in Caleb before heading out for their current mission tonight. For several minutes they walked in sepulchral silence, neither of them wanting to break the silence, the sky getting darker by the minute.<p>

"So," Black Hat finally broke the silence. "Do you happen to know anything about this infamous killer...what's his name...Ghost, is it?"

She set her jaw at this and seemed to consider her answer. _'Oh, to hell with it!'_ she thought in exasperation when she deduced that there was no point in hiding the stupid fact. "It's not a _he_."

"Oh?" he raised an amused eyebrow looking down at her. "How would you know that? Do you know _her_?"

"Take a wild guess," she replied, deciding to play his little game of 20 questions and playing stupid.

"Let's see," he trailed off with a mock tone. "Is it you?"

Giving him a sideways glance, she scoffed before answering. "Of course," she answered exasperated. "Why are you asking me if you already knew then?"

"It seemed proper that I didn't get to any conclusions without asking first," he retorted with an amused smirk. "Would you mind if I called you Ghost?"

She sniffed for a moment and pursed her lips together, almost in pout and her brow crunched together in annoyance, before she answered. "No, I guess. Whatever rocks your boat."

He raised an eyebrow at her vapid attitude, wondering if there was something bothering her or if he was really ticking her off. After all, he poked fun at her at random moments during the last week and she seemed to have been getting used to it. "Is there something on your mind? You seem very impatient and crabby."

Sighing, she briefly paused her stride and pinched the bridge of her nose, Black Hat recognizing it already as a custom of hers when she was frustrated and considering what to say. "I'm just really anxious to get these churchmen killed. That's all," she answered in a rush and continued her stride, Black Hat following close by.

He was going to answer but decided against it when he saw a flicker of light in the distance. They were close to the camping area then. "We're almost there. Let's pick up the pace, Ghost."

"No plan then?" she asked raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, don't allow them to escape," he replied with a cruel tone in his voice. "And leave none alive, of course."

She nodded once and with that ran along with him. Once they had gotten closer they slowed down to a jog. Black Hat reacted first, when he spotted a guard rounding the perimeter around the camp, sneaking up behind him and running his hand through the guard's chest. The unfortunate man only let out a choked gasp before he fell lifeless to the floor. Marion followed suit, going for the other guard rounding the other side of the perimeter. She wasted no time, ripping the guard's head off before actually stepping inside the perimeter, running straight for the large tent in the center, flanked by two desert trucks. A small group was outside of the tent chatting when Black Hat and then Marion attacked them. The men and women screamed as they were either ripped apart or drunk dry of their blood.

The people inside the tent began running frantically out of the tent when they heard the screams and saw the carnage. Marion was biting the neck of a nun when she suddenly saw a familiar face. She threw the lifeless body aside and sprinted with her inhuman speed towards the fleeing man. She caught him, spinning him around and slamming him against the side of one of the trucks, holding him up by his collar. Black Hat saw this and had to watch out that no one that was still alive escaped his grasp, seeing as Marion was now busy with a specific target.

"Please! Stop this senseless killing!" the man pleaded desperately with Marion, his eyes full of sheer terror. "Don't kill me, I beg you!"

"Shut up!" she spat viciously at his face as she slammed him again against the truck. "Look at my face and tell me who I am!"

"I-I don't know you! Please! Augh!" the man spat out blood when Marion slammed him hard against the ground and towered over him, leaning towards him.

"You best remember, because right now your life depends on it!" she snarled and stepped down hard on one of his ankles, breaking it and eliciting a scream of pain from the man.

"God!" he screamed just as Marion leaned down and grabbed his jaw between her fingers in an iron grip.

"God won't help you now, so you better hurry the fuck up and remember me," she growled in a dangerous tone, releasing his face and placing her foot against one of his elbows now, stepping down on it firmly.

The man breathed hard as he stared at her with wide eyes trying to jog his memory. He frowned suddenly through the pain and answered. "A-A-Aiello? Mathew Aiello's daughter?"

"Yes!" she yelled, kicking him in the side and he rolled into his side holding it in pain. "Remember now? How you contributed to ruining us? How you insisted and insisted on ripping away my brother from my family?"

Black Hat stood close now, though at a safe distance from her, as he witnessed the event now that this man was the current survivor. Though he had the suspicion that he wasn't going to be a survivor for very long. He recognized the terrified man as Bishop Alaric, formerly a Priest recruiter.

_'This could be interesting,'_ Black Hat thought as he watched the scene before him.

"Forgive me! Please, I was only doing my duty!" the man begged before howling in pain when Marion grabbed his left hand and snapped back his index and middle fingers.

"I just want you to answer me one thing, Alaric," she announced through gritted teeth, baring her fangs at him as she grabbed him by his throat and pulled him towards her so that he would look into her eyes. "Where. Is. Thomas Aiello?"

"I-I don't know! Aaaaaah!" he screamed in pain as she brought a clawed hand to his right side, crushing her fingers into his ribs, cracking them together.

"Where is my brother? Why isn't he back? Why are none of the Priests from the Wastelands back? The war's been over for 6 years! Where the fuck is he?" she asked furiously shaking him by his collar now.

_'Thomas Aiello?' _Black Hat wondered, connecting the name with the face in his mind. Suddenly, he saw the resemblance between the fellow Priest he once knew and the young woman before him. _'He was your brother then.'_

"Gah!" Alaric choked out some blood before he answered. "N-n-n-none of the Priests are allowed outside the city walls...The Order...The Order was disbanded...After the war...I don't know where your brother is, no one has heard of him since the war ended..."

"Fuck!" she threw him back against the ground and ran a bloody hand through her hair in frustration. She had the fleeting hope that after the war was over Thomas would come looking for her and their father. But she waited and waited in vain, only seeing him in her dreams. If he was alive, could he really not escape the city? Seeing Alaric trying to crawl away, she grabbed him by his broken ankle and pulled him back to face her. "Is there anything else I should know?"

The bishop shook his head as he whimpered in fear. "That...That is all I know of your brother...Please, please don't-" he never finished his plea as she drove a hand through his heart, killing him instantly.

"I don't even want your blood, you piece of filth," she declared in disgust, standing up and turning towards Black Hat. Her wild eyes turned soft as they searched his, as if asking him for comfort. He stepped towards her then, stopping at arm's length from her and bringing a hand to rest comfortingly on her shoulder. "You were a Priest...Did you know him? Thomas Aiello?"

Black Hat nodded once, his face serious and understanding.

"Was he a good warrior?" she asked solemnly.

"Yes, he learned exceptionally fast," he answered truthfully before continuing. "He was there the day I was taken in Sola Mira. He was one of the first to make it out of the hive. I couldn't tell you if he lived or died afterwards, I haven't known of the Priests since then."

She nodded in understanding and gave him a small, thankful smile, the first smile he had witnessed on her face since he met her, even if it was a sad one. "Thank you."


	4. Soulless Paradox

**Edit: **I fixed some redundancy errors, thanks to LordxXxofxXxDorkness for pointing it out :3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 4: Soulless Paradox<strong>

_6 months later_

Black Hat arrived on his bike at Jordan, parking the vehicle on an old abandoned horse stall. He exited the stall and walked into the house he had taken residence in along with Marion.

"Ghost?" he called but received no answer. A Familiar appeared on the road outside; he was one of Marion's. "You, where's your master? Has she arrived?"

"The mistress is at the library, sir," the Familiar answered, bowing his head to avoid Black Hat's gaze. "She arrived 2 hours ago."

Black Hat walked past the Familiar and went towards the library. Opening the door carefully, he entered the old building. Ever since Marion discovered the library she had taken a liking to the place. Books were strewn about the first time she entered it, and the whole place had been dusty and decayed. Now as Black Hat entered the place was in a much better state, with all the books in their proper place and the furniture clean. To say the least, Black Hat had discovered that the woman absolutely loved reading.

He walked further into the building, knowing that she must be in the back room, the reading room as she called it. The door was ajar and he placed a hand on it, pushing it open the whole way. There she was, sitting on a huge, almost throne-like chair, her bare feet on top of the large desk in front of her, leaning back comfortably against the chair with a book in one hand and playing with her prayer beads with the other hand. It was strange seeing her so relaxed and calm, considering he had seen how she had adapted to her new nature. He thought that, perhaps, already having killed people before when she was human, death wasn't strange to her. What was strange to her was killing people to feed and survive, but she had progressively gotten used to it.

He walked silently towards her, careful not to trip on her abandoned boots near the desk, and stopped behind her, peaking over the chair at her.

"What are we reading today?" he asked casually.

"History of the 21st century," she answered as she flipped a page and continued reading.

He removed his hat, placing it on the desk as he leaned against the chair's armrest beside Marion. "Anything interesting?"

"The usual; destruction, war, pollution, the vampires," she replied as she marked a page and closed the book, placing it on the desk next to other books she had been reading, turning to look at him afterwards. "There was a meeting of the Sheriffs of the Eastern Lands. They were discussing that the Church has essentially abandoned them, as well as the Western Lands. I don't think they're going to keep risking sending missionaries or any other churchmen, Black."

"We've scared them off then," he said thoughtfully as he brought an arm to rest across the top of the chair's back. "The law enforcements and governments of the Western Lands organized a similar reunion, saying how the Church isn't responding to their requests, only sending out letters to the Wastelands governments indicating that they have full jurisdiction over their own lands, that the Church shouldn't interfere."

"I wonder though," Marion began, hugging her knees against her chest now. "Why haven't they sent out the Priests? I know they're not allowed outside the city walls but you would think the Church would send them out when we're killing their people."

Black Hat scoffed. He knew what she was implying underneath, he could see in her face the fleeting hope she still clung to, even though she already knew the Priests weren't allowed outside the cities and were considered a social stigma. "Ghost, the Priesthood was only created to fight and kill vampires, the Church has no reason to send them out, and especially when we're not leaving evidence that it could be vampires. They're not going to risk it, and remember that there's a truce that still stands."

"I know," she replied in disappointment, closing her eyes and leaning against the chair's cushion.

Black Hat sighed audibly and stood up, grabbing the chair's armrests and turning said chair until she faced him, leaning towards her while keeping his grip on the armrests. "Answer me this. Let's say Thomas is alive; let's say we find him. What will you do then?"

She seemed surprised at first as she stared at him, her small body trapped between his frame and the chair. She avoided his gaze as she stared down at her hands while she considered her answer. He was right; what was she going to do? She was a human-vampire and Thomas a Priest, sworn enemy of the vampires. "I...I haven't thought about it."

"You haven't thought about it," he repeated in a serious tone before he leaned closer to her and spoke against her ear. "I suggest you consider it then, because I might consider an option you might not like."

She pushed him back by his shoulders, keeping him at arm's length as she scowled at him. "And are you suggesting I might betray the vampires? Betray you?"

He frowned at her briefly before sighing, bowing his head down. "I'm only telling you to think about it. Consider the possibilities," he brought his gaze back to hers, pleading.

She held his gaze and nodded once in understanding. "I will, I promise you that."

He nodded in return, giving her a small smirk before he took her hands from his shoulders and pulled her gently to her feet. "Come now, we need to go to Sola Mira."

She looked up at him with questioning eyes, her hands still held by his as she answered. "Sola Mira? I'm finally going to see the Queen?"

He raised an amused eyebrow at her while she released his hands to put on her boots and her discarded sleeveless coat. "You've already seen and met the Queen."

"It doesn't count," she replied while tying a scarf she used as a belt around her waist and he put his hat back on. "I was in shock and dying. By the way, what business do we have in Sola Mira? Did something happen?"

"We need to discuss with the Queen our next steps now that the Church has retired from the Wastelands," he explained as they both made their way out of the library. "I need to know whether we should attack the cities now or if we should wait and lay low."

"Waiting sounds boring," Marion commented as they entered the stalls and went for their bikes. "I hope the Queen gives us a clear go to attack the cities, I'm just anxious to bring them down."

"We'll see, you just try and be patient," he grinned at her impatience as he started his bike, the machine roaring to life under him. However, he saw Marion fighting with hers, trying to kick start it to no avail.

"Freaking-" she tried turning it on again to which the bike gave a muffled roar before it went silent. "Piece of shit!"

"What's wrong?" Black Hat as he stepped towards her, going straight to inspection her bike.

"Don't know," she answered getting off the bike and kicking it, the bike making a cracking sound before a piece of it fell off. "Great."

"If it wasn't dead before it certainly is now," Black Hat let out a chuckle of amusement as Marion stared up at him crossly, her lips pursed together, partly ashamed that she had done nothing if not kill the old and worn down bike. "Come on now, don't look at me like that, we'll get you a new one when we come back. After all, you can just ride with me."

She stared at him as if he had grown a third head. Turning her gaze briefly towards the broken down bike, she considered trying to fix it, but decided against it when she figured that it might _really _need some serious fixing. After all, the poor machine had a rather noticeable dent on its side from where she had kicked it.

_'Oh, to hell with it,'_ she thought in exasperation as she decided to take him up on his offer. "Fine."

He grinned at her and got back on his bike, waiting for her to climb behind him. Marion wrapped her arms around him, locking her hands together around his midsection. Oh, but he reveled in something else; he reveled in the feeling of her breasts pressed against his back, even if it was through clothing fabric. Being taken by the Church at a very young age, he hadn't known or marveled in the touch of a woman. Sure, after he became a vampire he did seduce female victims and have sex with them before drinking them dry, but they weren't persons he was trying to relate to; they were just his victims, his food. It was why having Marion touching him like that, even if it was for the most unconventional of reasons, was something he quietly enjoyed from time to time.

"Ready?" he asked to make sure she was truly holding on tight.

"Yeah, let's go," she replied as she pressed her cheek against his back and he drove them off towards Sola Mira.

* * *

><p>Black Hat stopped the bike when they arrived at the Sola Mira hive. Marion got off the bike first as she marveled at the huge mountain riddled with holes. The place certainly seemed familiar to her but, like she had told Black Hat, she really couldn't remember details about the night she was brought here by him.<p>

"Grand, isn't it?" she heard him comment as he stepped behind her.

"Quite," she replied and turned to look at him. "Lead the way."

"My pleasure," he answered as he stepped forward and began climbing the side of the mountain.

Marion followed suit, keeping close behind him. They went through one of the tunnels around the middle of the hive and were met by darkness, which posed no problem for their vampiric eyes. After following Black Hat for a few minutes in silence, she was suddenly alert when she heard movement ahead of them.

"Relax," Black Hat turned to her and allowed her to step forward until she was next to him. "It's just the vampires, they're curious to meet you."

Just as he said this, vampires began peaking out of the holes on the walls, some even coming forward to meet them. "Why?" she asked, confused as to why they were being so curious in coming forward as if to sniff her while she walked with Black Hat.

"They recognize you as a leader, of course," he replied as they arrived at the open area inside the hive where the pedestal stood. The very pedestal where they were both turned. Once again, Black Hat concentrated on reaching out to the Queen with his mind, closing his eyes in concentration.

"Black," Marion whispered, her brow furrowed in confusion as she looked at him. "What are you doing?"

"Reaching out to the Queen," he replied calmly, his eyes still closed. "She doesn't speak, she uses her mind to communicate. You'll see soon enough."

Marion stayed silent and opted to meditate while waited, uncoiling her rosary on her wrist to count the prayer beads. It must have been at least 10 minutes when Marion heard and saw the vampires scurrying back into their hiding place. A large, red creature appeared then before them standing tall.

_'Talk about déjà vu,'_ Marion thought as she stared in awe at their Queen.

_'Welcome back, child,' a_ female voice spoke in Marion's mind, startling her. _'Don't be scared, there is nothing to fear.'_

"My Queen," Black Hat began, bowing his head. "We need to discuss the matter of the Church's presence on the Wastelands."

_'Yes, child,'_ Marion could still hear the Queen in her mind, even though she clearly was addressing Black Hat. _'Tell me, what are the results?'_

"We have successfully stopped the Church's intervention with the Wastelands," Black Hat explained. "The Church has abandoned the Wastelands to their own fate."

_'Good,'_ the Queen answered. _'I need you both to lay low now; do not alert anyone to the possible presence of vampires. I need time to continue breeding the new army.'_

_'Lay low? But we can take them!'_ Marion couldn't help protesting in her mind, instantly realizing her mistake when the Queen turned directly to her.

_'That is my wish and I expect you to hold to it, child,'_ the Queen was quick to reprimand her.

"She will, I'll make sure," Black Hat responded firmly.

Marion almost gave him a bewildered glance but decided against it, thinking that it might not be the best idea in the presence of the Queen.

_'I will send messengers when the army is prepared,'_ the Queen announced in their minds. _'I expect it to take 4 years before we are prepared. Farewell.'_

And with that she quickly disappeared, leaving Black Hat and Marion standing there. Marion was the first to react, quickly stomping out the way she came in. Once out of the hive she slid down the side of the mountain and sprinted towards the bike, standing a few feet away from it as she paced back and forth, either holding the bridge of her nose or running a hand through her hair.

Black Hat met up with her a few moments later, staying clear of her pacing area as she kicked the desert floor with her boots.

"I had to tell her that," Black Hat finally spoke up. "I don't know what could have happened if you continued to protest against her wishes and I wasn't about to find out."

Marion finally stopped pacing and turned to him, staring at him with a glare. "What are you saying? That you had to tell her that you would make sure I followed orders so she didn't get pissed off?"

"Essentially," Black Hat was quick to answer as he stepped closer to her until they were but a few inches apart. "I wasn't going to stand around and risk having the Queen possibly attack you. You're still a young human-vampire, with time you will learn to control your thoughts from her."

"Why?" she asked furiously as she stood on her tiptoes briefly, looking into his eyes with her own yellow and livid eyes. "Why not let me learn my lesson on my own and let me learn what the Queen is capable of?"

"Because you are the _only_ companion I have!" he responded heatedly through gritted teeth as he grabbed her surprised face between his hands. "And before you ask, the answer is no. I don't consider the Familiars or the vampires my companions; they are followers, nothing else."

She had seen him angry, Hell she had seen him furious before and rip apart Familiars and men with his bare hands. But she had never seen him so irate and upset at the same time, and much less over her. Most shocking to her though was that he considered her a companion. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't considered how she had been alone since her father was killed...until Black Hat took her in.

"Damn it all...I was blinded by ambition and desperation," she whispered, her brow furrowed in frustration and regret as she placed her hands over his, which still held her face. "Forgive me."

"Don't ask for forgiveness," he responded, boldly bringing his forehead to rest against hers, his hat tipping upwards at the motion, and her wide surprised eyes staring into his now calmer ones. "I was only angry at the thought of not knowing what could happen. I should have known better, I myself couldn't control my thoughts from the Queen when I was a young human-vampire."

She remained silent for a few moments, just reveling in the feeling of having him so close to her. Sure she thought he was a handsome man, but she had never considered how attractive she _really_ considered him. Her heart was pumping blood faster than usual then and she hadn't realized that her fingers had been caressing his longer ones gently as they still lay on her face. "I should thank you then-"

"Don't. I would do it again if I have to, no need to thank me," he quickly interceded, surprising her even further by kissing her cheek softly and quickly. "Shall we go home now?"

"Uh, yeah, let's go," she answered, snapping out of her surprise and following him towards the bike. _'Companion, huh?'_ she thought as she got on the bike behind him, encircling her arms once again around his frame, not being able to help herself from taking in his musky scent. _'It sounds so...nice.'_

* * *

><p><em><strong>"Tom!" she exclaimed in excitement as she pulled her chin up over the bar. "Look!"<strong>_

_**Tom looked up; his brow furrowed as he saw his sister hanging by the high bar that stuck out of their porch. "Marion! Get down right now! Pops will be furious if he sees you up there!"**_

_**"Pops isn't here dumbass!" she replied as she did a swing and landed with a roll, dusting herself off as she stood up, facing her brother who scowled at her with his arms crossed. "What? Did I drop my shame?"**_

_**"Even after you break a leg from your stunts you still insist on injuring yourself?" he scolded her as she looked up at him with a pout.**_

_**"Don't be such a party pooper," the girl complained as she walked into their house, her brother following close behind her. "I was a rookie back then and you know it. How old was I? 10? I'm a big girl now, Tom, I've worked hard on my technique."**_

_**"You're 15, Mari, you're still a squirt," he joked as he ruffled her wavy hair while she served herself a glass of water.**_

_**"Oh, and you're not a squirt?" she raised an eyebrow at him as she took a gulp of water. "Last I knew, you're not considered an adult in the Wastelands until you're 21. So, that means you're just a 19 year old squirt."**_

_**"Whatever you say, Mari, you always win," he chuckled shaking his head and running a hand through his light brown hair. Just then, they both heard the front door open and ran out of the kitchen to take a look.**_

_**"Papa!" Marion squealed as she ran up to the tall man and trapped him in a hug.**_

_**"Hey, kiddo!" the middle aged, blond man greeted her with a bear hug, spinning her around briefly. "What have you kids been up to?"**_

_**"Not much, just the usual," Marion answered as her father patted Thomas' back and brought him in for a hug. **_

_**"By usual she means she's been a rascal," Thomas answered with a smirk as Marion looked at him with wide, warning eyes. **_

_**"Is that so?" her father, Mathew, looked at her with a raised, suspicious eyebrow.**_

_**"Is practicing rolls on the ground a crime?" she replied with a pout.**_

_**"I guess not, kid," he answered with a chuckle and then turned to Thomas. "Tom, we need to discuss something."**_

_**"Hey! Don't leave me out of the discussion!" Marion protested at not being included.**_

_**Thomas nodded, a look of understanding on his face and left towards the study as his father stayed for a moment with Marion. **_

_**"Mari, sweetheart, I don't want to leave you out of discussions, but I need you to be a good girl and go to your room while I talk with your brother," Mathew explained as he crouched to his daughter's level, placing his hands on her shoulders. "These are important matters you are yet to understand."**_

_**"I'll understand! I'm old enough, pops!" she whined as she looked at him with pleading eyes. "Is it about the churchmen? The men who want to take Tom away?"**_

_**Mathew sighed and brought a finger under his daughter's chin. "Listen, kiddo, don't you worry about that. I'm not letting anyone take our Tom away. That I can promise you."**_

_**"Promises are meant to be broken, papa," she sighed sadly as she looked down in disappointment. **_

_**"Sweetie, they're not meant to be broken," he explained as he brought her gaze back up again. "Some circumstances just make them hard to keep, you remember that."**_

_**"Fine," she answered and then got a bright look in her face as if she had an occurrence. "I can help you keep your promise! I can help you fight to keep the churchmen away!" **_

_**Mathew grinned at his daughter's motivation and ruffled her dirty-blonde waves. "I'm sure you can, kiddo. But not right now, perhaps when you're older. You just worry about reading your books and doing your crazy stunts for now."**_

_**She nodded with a small pout as her father smiled and kissed her forehead. But when he pulled back he wasn't her father; he was Black Hat grinning at her with his fangs bared.**_

Marion woke up with a startle, sitting up in her bed and letting out a sigh as she realized she had been dreaming.

_'No, they were memories,'_ she thought as she lay back onto the bed with a huff, going over the 11 year old memory. _'Except the last part though, that definitely wasn't a memory.'_

It had been two weeks since they're meeting with the Queen and it was weird because she had been dreaming, as usual, about her past, but now Black Hat invaded those dreams. Ever since he had invaded her personal space and told her how he considered her his companion her dreams had taken that weird characteristic.

_'Look at it this way, Marion, at least they're not wet dreams,'_ she pondered as she got up from her bed, realizing it was almost dusk, and went into her bathroom for a much needed shower. _'Now __**that**__ would be weird.'_

After her bath Marion walked to the room down the hallway and knocked on a closed door.

"Black?" she called out when he didn't answer. She was about to open the door when a Familiar appeared at the top of the stairs that led to the main room.

"Mistress," the man bowed his head in respect. "The Master requests your presence at the library. He says he has some matters to discuss with you."

She nodded and dismissed him as she walked out of the house. Moments later she had arrived at the library, going straight into the reading room and seeing him there, without his hat, sitting casually on a couch that stood across from the desk she usually sat at.

"You needed to discuss something with me?" she asked as he looked up at her from the book he was reading.

"Yes. Come and take a seat," he answered as he patted the space beside him.

"I swear it wasn't me," she joked casually, trying to lift the mood and calm her nerves when she noticed he was more underdressed than usual. His coat was missing, and his vest was open all the way with his black, long-sleeved button shirt underneath slightly open, revealing a bit of his chest. She sat carefully beside him.

"Don't worry, I'm not accusing you of anything," he smirked at her before his expression turned a bit sullen.

"Is something wrong?" she asked with worry in her voice.

He sighed before leaning to reach a paper that lay alone on the table before them. "It depends," was his only answer as he handed her the piece of paper.

"What is this?" she frowned as she scanned the paper over. It was a sort of report from the Church, but what instantly caught her attention was the photo she saw in the top left corner of the paper. She almost didn't recognize the man in the photo: his face was more mature than she remembered, his light-brown hair cropped short and his eyes the same light blue her own had once been. The name beside said photo confirmed that it was him, Thomas Aiello. "Tom?" her voice wavered as she went on to read the stats.

_Age: 27; Height: 5'10"; Weight: 170lbs.; Date of Birth: October 1, 2189_

The next stat made her pause in shock as she read it over and over. "Date of death? May 13, 2216...Death by suicide...He...He died 3 years ago..."

"I'm sorry," Black Hat spoke, his voice low and apologetic. "I sent a Familiar to search for any information he could find. He found that in an abandoned registry of the Church over at Josephine."

Marion, however, kept silent as she digested the information. She stood, dropping the papers as she did so, and began pacing from the desk and back to the couch. Finally, she paused in front of the large desk, placing her hands on the edges of it and clenching her hands, her claws digging through the wood. She set her jaw hard and scowled at nothing in particular, her nostrils flaring as she tried to calm down.

Black Hat thought about intervening but thought better of it, deciding it might be best if she vented her anger. It suddenly reminded him of himself when he had just been transformed. He was so full of anger and resentment; he felt betrayed that his comrades, and particularly his friend, had not tried harder to keep him from being taken by the vampires. He thought at the time that they could have tried harder...that _he_ shouldn't have released him to his fate. But as time passed he came to accept, and even embrace, his newly found condition as a human-vampire. He came to accept that it had allowed him to see the Church for the fraud that it was, for ripping him, and many others, away from their families, even while they were still children. Wasn't he just a child when he was taken away from his parents? He had been a mere boy, only 6 years old. It was cruel, he had thought at the time, and it was no different now. So he understood her pain; she was the opposite of him, she had her family ripped away and he had been ripped away from his. Thomas was the last clutch she had of her humanity, while his...his were in the cities...the Priests and Priestesses he had once called friends. In particular Isaac and Sarah...

After a few moments of tense silence she finally snapped, letting out a furious scream as she flipped the desk over and kicked it, breaking it in half. Black Hat stood up alert then, as he watched her bloody tears running down her angry and distressed face. She went on to bring a whole bookshelf down before taking the throne-like chair with a vicious growl and trashing it against the wall, breaking both the wall and the chair. Black Hat approached her carefully then, as she paced in a circle, sobbing both furiously and mournfully, while she grabbed and pulled at her hair enraged. He placed a cautious hand on her shoulder and she reacted instantly, her clawed hand lashing out as she snarled, catching his forearm and gashing it open. She gasped in shock when she realized what she had done, her bloody eyes looking at him apologetically yet still in distress and grief.

"It's fine, just a flesh wound, it'll heal," he reassured her and placed a hand to her shoulder again in a sympathetic manner, his face serious in understanding of her pain.

She stared at him blankly for a moment before her face contorted in grief as she began sobbing again, only this time she broke down against his chest as he brought his arms around her. Her arms came around his frame desperately until her hands clutched the fabric of his shirt around his upper back, her face buried in his chest as she cried against it. Gently, he stroked her back in comfort and rested his chin on top of her head as she sobbed and shook in her grief. No words were needed, his presence and support was enough of a comfort for her. He was her companion...and friend.

_'Are vampires really soulless creatures?'_ he thought, remembering what the Church had taught him, the crying human-vampire in his arms making him raise doubts about it. _'I'm beginning to see the other side of the coin...'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** As always, thanks for the reviews, I like knowing what you guys think. I encourage constructive criticism and ideas, so don't be afraid to contribute :) Peace out!_  
><em>


	5. Those Blinding Eyes

**Edit:** Fixed some errors! Thanks, once again, to LordxXxofxXxDorkness for pointing them out, I appreciate it! :3

**Warning:** There is sexual content in this chapter. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5: Those Blinding Eyes<strong>

**A light breeze came into the room as the door was opened, giving her goose bumps when the cold air hit her naked body. She stared at him as he walked into the room, catching her walking out of the shower. Staring at her still humid body, his yellow eyes scanned her frame several times, practically eating her with his eyes. She shivered and brought an arm around her exposed breasts and crossed her legs, placing a hand just below her navel as well, trying to hide her naked form from his lustful eyes. He closed the distance between them, reaching with his hands to touch her face in a soft caress.**

**"Why are you so beautiful?" he asked rhetorically, pushing her gently until she was pressed between his body and the wall. Bringing his face down towards hers then, he pressed his lips against hers. **

**She gave into the kiss, allowing her mouth to move against his and deepening the kiss. Without realizing it, she brought her hands towards his neck, wrapping an arm around his neck while bringing the other hand to caress his jaw, reveling in the feeling of his scruff. His tongue found its way into her mouth, eliciting a moan from her as she felt her now pert nipples make contact against his clothed chest. "Black..." she whispered as he parted briefly from her mouth.**

**"Who would have thought," he whispered huskily into her ear as he brought a calloused hand towards one of her breasts, grabbing it eagerly and making her release a surprised groan as she leaned into his touch. "That a monster like yourself could **_**come **_**undone like this, under my touch."**

**Whimpering at his double-entendre, he continued stroking her breast while kissing her neck hungrily as she grabbed at his broad back for dear life. "Please..." she clawed at his back, ripping through his clothing. **

**He brought his face back up and gave her a playful smirk, bringing a knee between her legs then and pressing it against her core. "What do you want me to do to you?"**

**Her eyes were closed in bliss when he purposely moved his knee against her. A hand replaced the knee then, eliciting a surprised moan from her as his fingers explored her wet core. "Black!"**

"Whoa! Holy mother!" Marion sat up with wide eyes, running a hand through her disheveled hair. Groaning, she fell back against the couch, realizing she had fallen asleep in the library. But that wasn't her main frustration. "What the fucking fuck? Since when do I have wet dreams?"

Seriously, the man had been affecting her in the weirdest of ways. First it was the harmless dreams about her past. Somehow, he appeared just when she was about to wake up. The dreams got particularly more frequent since she learned of Thomas' death almost 5 months ago. Last time she had a dream memory it had been about the day her father had been murdered and she had held his dying body in her arms. She remembered she had sung him a lullaby at his request and had pressed her forehead against his own. But, suddenly, as he began taking his last breath he wasn't her father anymore but Black Hat, dying in her arms, his neck bleeding profusely, his hair disheveled, clothes torn and burnt, and his yellow eyes dilating slowly as they looked into hers. That had been the one that had really upset her. Just thinking about it made her eyes sting with bloody tears. She had lost her father and her brother, she didn't want to even think about losing her only friend and the man who had given her a second chance at living, even if it was a life as a different species.

Now, the wet dream was really weird to her, and it had been thoroughly unexpected. Sure, she thought the man was attractive, and he did have a certain charm, but to dream of him _taking_ her? Although, as of late Black Hat was flirtier than usual. Nonetheless, she opted for trying to forget about the dream when she realized what time it was. "Shoot," she cursed as she stood and put on her boots. Running out of the library, she went straight to the old clothing store that, thankfully for them, still had stocks of clothing. Huffing, she walked towards the women's clothing section, starting to look through the many dresses.

"A dinner under the stars and the blood moon...How does that sound, Ghost?" she mocked, imitating Black Hat's voice and gestures as she brought out a Greek style gown to inspect it, gagging at how ugly it was and putting it back on the rack. "The guy has the weirdest ideas. Doesn't he know I don't do dresses?" she continued babbling to herself as she continued her search.

"That's a good impression of me."

Marion jumped at the voice, turning on her heel instantly and glaring at Black Hat as he walked through the arch between the women and men's sections. "Imbecile! You scared the living fuck out of me!"

He chuckled as he walked towards one of the racks and began looking through the attires casually. It seemed he had been trying on clothes as well, seeing as he was wearing a button down white shirt without tucking it into the dark gray pants he currently wore. "So, you can still be scared, that's good. Here, try this," he offered her a gothic styled black gown with white details.

"Hell to the no," she answered, pushing away the ghastly piece of clothing. "And I thought we'd agreed to meet for dinner, not pick out each other's clothing."

"No harm in throwing in some suggestions," he answered with a wink, throwing the garment over her head and going back to dig out another one.

She quickly fought with the gown, removing it from her head so she could look at him. "Hey, I might not be very fashion conscious or the most feminine woman in the world, but at least I know what looks good on me."

"As I said, just suggestions," he replied without looking at her as he pulled a horribly pink pompous ball gown complete with ruffles on its big sleeves. "Well, wouldn't you look like a cupcake in this," he joked, placing it lightly over her frame as she gave him a 'Bitch, please' kind of look.

"Perhaps if you were more serious I might consider it," she replied as she slapped the dress away and went through others herself.

"Seriously then," he said as he threw away the cupcake gown and quickly dug out a simple black gown with long sleeves. "Try this, I think you might look quite elegant in it."

She raised a suspicious eyebrow but took it nonetheless. "Fine," she went into the dressing room then, closing the curtain behind her. It suddenly hit her as she started undressing: this was probably one of the most mundane things they had done in a while. It seemed so strange that Black Hat would be the kind of guy to pick out fashion for women, mainly because she usually saw him as the evil human-vampire that he was (not to say that she was a good person in contrast). "Hey, since when do you have a taste for feminine fashion?"

"Since never," he was quick to answer as she pulled the garment over her head. "We weren't even allowed to ogle at women while in Priesthood. This is basically new to me. I'm just going by common sense."

"Well, that sucks," she replied as she looked at herself in the mirror. She almost gasped when she saw that the gown revealed most of her back and the hem of it brushed the floor. _'This must be old fashion, I don't see a lot of women wearing these kind of dresses,'_

"And what about before you joined the Priesthood," she continued the conversation as she pondered on whether to show him how the dress looked on her. "Didn't you ever do anything as mundane or normal as this?"

The curtain was then pulled open in a blur, having her turn around quickly, a hiss escaping her lips at being startled like that. Black Hat looked her up and down as a small smile grazed his lips. "My, my, don't you look pretty?"

"Haven't you heard of asking if someone is done dressing?" she gave him an irritated look, standing there awkwardly.

"I heard you undress and then pull over the dress, so I knew you had finished," he smirked, inspecting her once again, taking her hand and having her, much to her protest, do a turn around. "It's pretty, but it won't do you justice. You're far too short and it just makes you look shorter."

Turning back towards the garments, he resumed his search for the next one while she huffed and leaned against the dressing room's wall with her arms crossed. "You didn't answer my earlier question, Black."

"What question?" he asked, his brow furrowed together, inspecting a violet mandarin gown before putting it back on the rack.

"The one about if you did normal things when you were in Priesthood," she sighed as he finally walked towards her with a new garment, this time an A-shaped red chiffon dress with simple straps.

"No, I didn't," he finally answered as she took the attire from his hands before he closed the curtain himself, leaving her to change in private. "None of the Priests and Priestesses did. We were practically forced to abandon everything; even our sense of humor was frowned upon. I can basically count the times I actually laughed while in Priesthood."

Keeping silent while she changed, Marion suddenly regretted the question. It really made her feel for him, for her brother and the other members of Priesthood. She thought about how cruel it seemed, to be pried of having a life, to be free. It seemed, she considered, like they were imprisoned warriors, forced to fight for others. Where had free will gone in that instance?

"How could you stand it?" she finally asked, not knowing what else to ask, as she finished zipping up the dress and opened the curtain.

"It was the only life I knew," he answered as he watched her, determining whether he liked the garment on her or not. "I was taken in at a very young age," he continued, looking up at her face then.

"How young?" she asked with a questioning frown.

Looking at her with a fleeting melancholic look in his eyes, he answered, "When I was barely 6 years old."

She was silent for a few moments, digesting the information, her brow furrowed in disturbance. "6? At such a young age? What about your family?"

"I don't really remember them. It's all sort of a blur," he explained as he avoided her gaze then. "I was told...Made to believe that my family gave me up to the Church. It was only when I became a human-vampire that I learned the truth. The truth that the Church actually stopped at nothing to obtain gifted children to join the Priesthood. The younger they were the better, there was less explaining to do."

That confirmed her certainty that the Church had gone to extremes to obtain members for the Priesthood. Similarly, Thomas had been ripped away from her and her father. But to take away a _child_ from his family...That was unforgivable. That was cruel. She couldn't help but feel sorry for the man before her, looking at him with distraught and sad eyes.

"Now, don't give that look, Ghost, that was a long time ago. No need to be sad," he gave her a smirk before he continued. "Now let's get back to the dresses. Turn around."

She complied without much protest, dropping the questions from his past. Giving a quick yet rough twirl, she stopped to look at him with an exasperated look, her lips pursed together. "I don't like it, it makes me look like a freaking tomato."

"It's too dramatic against your light skin," he commented, stepping back and grabbing the next gown he had in line for her. "Try this one, I've got a good vibe about it."

Taking the attire, she gave it a quick inspection and turned to walk back into the dressing room when he surprised her (no, shocked her) by giving her a slap in the ass. She jumped with a yelp, putting a hand over her butt as she turned to glare daggers at his snickering and amused face. "You! What-"

"Go on, don't take long," he cut in, pushing her in and quickly closing the curtain before she could attack him.

_'Not helping!'_ she thought exasperated while unwittingly recalling her earlier dream. _'Not helping at all! Teasing bastard!'_

Putting on the dress rather quickly, she looked at her image in the mirror, almost disbelieving that she actually liked what she saw. It was a mocha color satin garment with a black tulle outer-layer. The style was strapless with long form-fitting sleeves made of black lace, which stopped at her wrists, and the hem reached just below her knees. She had to give it to Black Hat; he did have some taste after all. Throwing the curtain open, she stepped out of the dressing room. "Well? What do you think?"

He stayed silent for a few moments as he simply took her in, his eyes with a glint of amazement in them, grinning at her. Stepping towards her, he took one of her hands in his and motioned for her to give him a twirl, to which she complied. "You look beautiful, Marion. I don't think you should try any more dresses."

She avoided his gaze, smiling at the flattering remark and at his use of her real name for a change. His index finger came under her chin then, lifting her gaze back up towards his own. Staring at her in the most amused of ways, he grinned widely as if he was laughing at some inside joke. Frowning, she finally asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's so rare to see you so flustered and shy over a compliment," he commented, placing a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "It's an interesting contrast to your more vicious nature."

Raising an eyebrow, she crossed her arms over her chest and narrowed her eyes at him. "Who said I was flustered?"

"No one," he shrugged, taking her wrists gently and uncrossing her arms, pulling her closer to him as he did so. "You're just showing it, Marion."

"Am not," she protested while he leaned his head closer to hers. "Black?" she inquired when he remained silent, simply staring into her eyes.

"Remember when we met? When you woke up after the transformation?" he asked and she nodded in response almost instantly. "I told you my real name. Do you remember it?"

Furrowing her brow in confusion at his question, she found it difficult to concentrate with his face so close to hers, his breath brushing her lips when he spoke. But she remembered. Of course she remembered, how could she not?

"Lucas," she finally answered, the name almost alien to her from its disuse.

"Yes," he whispered against her lips before he angled his head, closing the distance between them by placing his lips against hers softly. She stiffened at first, shocked at his action, but responded quickly when he almost pulled back, responding just as softly as he had kissed her, reveling in the feeling of his full lips against hers. Bringing a hand to her lower back, he pressed her fully against his body while he snaked his other hand through her hair. Placing her hands at either side of his neck, she deepened the kiss eagerly, sighing contentedly against his mouth when he responded enthusiastically. Her feet left the floor then when he picks her up, holding her against him, his tongue licking her lower lip while his mouth moved readily against her own. Granting him access into her mouth, she runs her fingers through his hair, their lips moving together fervently as their tongues explored each other.

"Master!" they both heard one of the Familiars calling outside.

"Fuck!" Black Hat cursed silently as he unwillingly pulled away from her lips and placed her back on the floor. She cursed as well, pissed that the stupid Familiar had interrupted them, when Black Hat took both of her hands in his and placed a reassuring kiss against them. "We'll finish this later, my dear."

"I'll hold you to it," she boldly answered as he smirked and pecked her on the lips quickly. "Now, go on. See what's wrong while I change."

He nodded and reluctantly released her hands, stepping away from her and leaving the clothing store.

_'Gods,'_ she pressed a hand over her rapidly thumping heart, leaning against the dressing room's wall. _'For an ex-priest he's a wonderful kisser.'_

She felt like such a fool, recognizing that she hadn't allowed herself to be attracted to any man for a very long time. When personal vendettas got in the way there really was nothing else she could concentrate on but tracking down targets and assassinating them. It was then that she realized how obsessed she had been, and still was, with bringing down the Church, how much she wanted those totalitarians gone. This obsession was what pried her of all her former wishes and visions of the future. So to allow herself to be attracted to someone was really a milestone. And, even though the circumstances had changed for her greatly by no longer being a human, she was thankful it was Black Hat, or Lucas for that matter, whom she was attracted to, and she couldn't help but feel like such a girl at the thought that Lucas was attracted her. Or so he seemed to give away by his actions, she never liked being the overly optimistic idiot in the room.

"Shit!" she suddenly cursed when she heard what she recognized as one of the Familiars screaming in agony. Finishing her clothing change in haste then, she put the dress away carefully just as the screams died out. _'Uh-oh, Black Hat must be freaking pissed out of his mind,'_ she thought as she ran out of the store and was met by a body torn to bloody pieces right in the middle of the main road. Other Familiars were stepping out into the open, curiously and cautiously watching the torn body when she went straight for their house in search of Black Hat.

"Black?" she called, following his scent and droplets of blood on the floor, leading all the way up into his room. The door to his room was ajar and she pushed it open, stepping carefully into his room. "Black?" she heard water running and turned to her right, seeing him in his bathroom leaning against the sink with his head bowed over. "What happened?" she asked, stopping at the bathroom's entrance, looking at his shirtless form and his face bloodied along with his arms.

The porcelain gave a creak of protest when his grip tightened against the sink, his claws digging into it. "There's a Priest out in the Wastelands," he answered in a low voice, a lingering tone of viciousness in it.

Surprise was evident on her face as she heard the bit of information, but then she asked him, "Is that why you tore apart the Familiar?"

He shook his head then and turned his gaze towards her. "The incompetent fool didn't know if the Priest saw him and followed him. For all we know we've got the _fucking _Priest following his tracks right now!" he growled, his nostrils flaring and the sink giving away under his grip, the porcelain shattering into several pieces.

"Hey!" she put a hand to his shoulder, forcing him to turn and face her. Taking his face between her hands, she searched his furious yellow eyes and held him there trying to calm him, his hands coming up to hold onto her forearms. "Easy now. Calm down. We can take a Priest. Were you not a former Priest? Didn't you say you are stronger now than before?"

"That's not what concerns me," he was quick to answer. He was calmer now but his eyes were still livid. "We were ordered to lay low. This incompetence could potentially ruin the Queen's plan, it could alert others to our presence."

"It won't ruin any plans, Black. Let the Priest come to us and we'll both kill him when he gets here. That Priest won't have the chance to alert the cities or anyone for that matter," she reassured him, stroking his cheeks with her thumbs in a comforting manner.

Closing his eyes briefly, he breathed in deep through his nose and nodded. "You're right. You're right, let him come to us. He'll regret it with his life."

* * *

><p>The town was deserted, just as he remembered, but the tracks led him here, to Jordan. It brought back memories from the war, when the town still had some residents. He recalled that they had to inevitably abandon their dear town, for it was too close to the Sola Mira hive, making it a dangerous hot spot during the war. Getting off his bike, he walked towards the abandoned and dusty main road, narrowing his eyes as the wind swept up the sand. He looked at the several abandoned buildings with melancholy, slowly walking past them, inspecting them from the outside.<p>

There seemed to be no sign of life, no evidence that someone or something had been there. But he knew better; he knew that Familiars were good at hiding when they needed to hide. He may have broken his vows by stepping out of the cities, and for committing his atrocious sin, but he still had a duty to fulfill, he had a duty to mankind. Familiars were known for criminal activities around the Wastelands and, even though the sheriffs insisted they had everything under control and that it was their turf, he still had to make sure himself that everything was truly in order; he had to reassure that no vampires were outside the boundaries of their reservations. It was, he thought, his way to repent for his sins.

He turned on his heel then when he heard something move about. Unsheathing his dagger, he carefully walked towards the alley from which the sound originated. Jumping into the alley, he brought his dagger before him in a lightning fast move before he quietly sighed.

_'False alarm, can't let my guard down though,'_ he thought and, before he knew it, the dagger was kicked out of his hand just as he began turning back around and he was kicked in the gut by a blurry silhouette moving at inhuman speed. Landing hard on his back, he quickly recovered and jumped back to his feet, landing in a defensive stance to face his attacker. But what he saw froze him in place. "What..."

His attacker seemed just as shocked, the dirty-blonde haired woman looking at him with bewildered and disbelieving eyes. But something was different; those eyes, which had once been like his own, were now yellow. "It can't be...I mourned you...They...They told me...Showed me..."

He wasn't able to form a complete sentence, seeming that his shock was almost too much to handle. It had to be a trick it just had to be. But that woman, so much like his little sister except for her eyes. And the way she looked at him as well, with shock mimicking his own. It _had _to be her.

"Thomas?" she finally spoke, her voice cracking and disbelieving.

"Marion..." he spoke her name mournfully, beginning to step cautiously towards her. But, just as he was about to reach her, he felt his body being flung through the air before he was knocked out and embraced by darkness.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks for the reviews! As always, I encourage constructive criticism and ideas : Hope you guys liked this chapter. Peace out!_  
><em>


	6. Sinner by Excellence

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 6:<strong> **Sinner by Excellence**

"Enough!" he growled, taking her by the shoulders and making her face him. He shook her but her face remained blank with shock. "You need to snap out of it already!"

It had been almost a day since the Priest appeared on Jordan and Marion had gone into a state of shock since she saw his face. Black Hat almost couldn't believe it either that Thomas was truly alive, but the proof was there in the flesh, currently locked up in the abandoned town's prison. Right now, he was just fed up with watching Marion in her room, staring blankly out the window. She counted her prayer beads in a manic manner while muttering some nonsense under her breath he couldn't understand. It was truly exasperating; no matter what he did she just gave him a vacant, cold look and went back to what she was doing. Even now, by yelling right in her face she remained unfazed, it was almost as if she was staring _through_ him and not _at_ him.

"Fine. You want me to be the bad guy? I'll be the bad guy," and with that warning he snatched the rosary out of her hands before she could react. That seemed to do the trick, even if the consequence was a violent one. It was almost too fast of a reaction as her eyes suddenly came into focus and they glared lividly at him. With her fangs bared, she snarled and lunged at him, knocking him to the floor and straddling him as she made to grab for the rosary. He held her at bay with a hand against one of her shoulders and the other keeping the rosary away from her claws.

"Give me that, you damn liar!" she growled through gritted teeth as she lashed out at his chest and arms.

"Hey! Wait!" he gave her the rosary back and, in her distraction, flipped her over, landing against her body and pinning her to the floor with his weight, taking her wrists in each of his hands. "Why are you calling me a liar? Do you think I lied to you about Thomas?"

She tried to no avail to scurry out of the compromising position he was holding her in. Wanting to protest and scream, she decided against it when she considered the unbelieving tone in his voice, as if he was hurt that she had called him a liar. "You...You showed me those reports...They are false then if he is alive...You lied to me...Why?" she questioned him, her face contorted with betrayal and distrust.

"Listen to me," he kept his hands on her wrists, though his grip loosened when she seemed to calm down. "I am as surprised as you are that he's alive. I believed what I read that day almost a year ago on that report. What's happening? I honestly don't know. Once Thomas wakes up you can ask him. But one thing's certain: I didn't lie to you and I never would. There's no reason for it."

Staring into his yellow eyes and letting out a frustrated breath, she finally let up the fight when she realized she had formed hasty conclusions. She looked into his yellow eyes, seeing truth in them and desire for her trust. Feeling guilty, she admitted what she had thought when she saw that Thomas was alive. "I thought you betrayed me...I felt...I felt like the one person I trusted had deceived me. I was confused, I'm sorry...But just seeing him _alive_...I couldn't believe it, everything just went blank for me."

"It's alright," he replied with a sigh as he released her wrists and stood up, taking her hands and helping her to her feet. "You mourned for him and accepted his death, it is only natural that you be stunned at seeing him right before you. Although, it seems he thought you dead as well, he seemed to be just as shocked."

Her eyes moved from side to side as she recalled what Thomas had said when he saw her. "Yes...He said that he had mourned me...Those bastards! They lied to him, made him believe I was dead!" she growled, punching a hole through the wall in rage.

"The Church tells many lies. The faith they preach is nothing but a lie," his arms came around her from behind then, encasing her against his frame as she breathed furiously and gritted her teeth together.

She began relaxing then, resting the back of her head against his chest and leaning backwards into his body, her hands coming to rest over his own. Moving her head sideways, she looked up at him. "Did he ever say that I was dead? Did he ever mention that while in Priesthood?"

Black Hat shook his head, a frown forming on his face causing his cross tattoo to contort. "Thomas was particularly quiet, he kept mostly to himself. I don't recall him ever speaking about personal matters."

Her gaze fell towards his hands resting on her midsection, her fingers idly drawing circles over the back of his hands. "I don't know what I should do...This is completely unexpected."

"Whatever you do, I only ask you to not compromise the mission," he leaned his head forward, speaking against her ear in a low voice. "I only ask you to not compromise us. If he still holds to the faith, he won't be idle in trying to kill us."

"I won't compromise anything, but at least let me speak to him," she turned in his embrace to face him, bringing a hand to his cheek, caressing it. "Give me that at least."

He stared down at her with a solemn look in his eyes and covered her hand over his cheek with his own. Turning his head, he placed a chaste kiss on the palm of her hand before answering. "Of course."

* * *

><p>A blistering headache met him as he began waking up. He groaned in pain, his hand going to the back of his head, hissing as he came in contact with the tender swelling. Forcing his eyes open through the pain, he was met by a concrete wall in his line of sight. Sitting up, he realized he was inside a prison; his hands and feet tied to shackles on the wall. He began looking around but stopped on something, or someone, that caught his eye.<p>

"Marion?" he asked, his voice hoarse from disuse. The small woman, who had been sitting outside the cell holding her knees to her chest and had her head hidden between her knees, looked up then, seemingly awaking from a slumber.

"You're finally awake," she replied, standing up and walking closer to the prison until she was leaning against the prison bars. "How's your head?"

He scoffed, standing up and walking towards the bars until he was in front of her. "That's a pretty cold way to greet your estranged brother."

"What?" she grabbed the bars then, glaring at him as she answered, "I grieved your death. I read the report, it said you were dead, that you committed suicide."

"Are you really my sister Marion?" he asked when he looked at those strange yellow eyes again.

"Why would you ask that? Can you not see me before you?" she replied through gritted teeth, accidently baring her fangs.

Frowning in both confusion and surprise at the strange teeth in her mouth, he took a step back from her. "How old were you when our mother died and of what did she die of?"

Rolling her eyes at the questions, knowing he was testing her, she answered in frustration. "I was 3 years old and she died of cancer. There, is that enough? Do you need more proof? They took you 11 years ago, when I was 16 years old, I always loved and still love reading, I have always been curious about what the sea is like and I even asked you once if you would go on a journey with me in search of the sea."

Breathing deeply, he ran a hand through his shaggy light-brown hair, realizing that he couldn't deny that it was truly his sister, his Marion. "Why am I imprisoned? And, what happened to you?"

"You will know in time, " she retorted, stepping away from the bars to lean against the wall. "And by that you mean what? What happened to me after you were taken? Or why are my eyes different?"

"Both, I guess," he answered with a sigh. "Can't you just tell me why I'm in a prison?"

"I'll answer you," she replied, staring at him right in the eyes. "Once you tell me why there's a Church report that says you're dead."

"Fair enough," he walked closer to the bars then, grabbing onto them as he stared down at his sister. "I should first say, that is the most horrendous sin I've committed."

"Feigning suicide?" was her reply as she avoided his gaze.

Nodding, he continued, "Yes, I shouldn't have done it, but I was desperate. I was so desperate to escape the cities that I was willing to fake my death just so the Church wouldn't follow me into the Wastelands."

"How did you achieve that?" a frown of confusion found its way to her face as she turned to look at him.

"I hate recalling it, but I can't deny it," he answered, a repentant tone in his voice as he crossed himself and chanted a quick prayer. "I was wandering around a sector of the city I lived in, when I came upon a man attacking a woman in an alley, trying to rape her. I was became blinded by fury and...killed the man. The woman ran away in fear when she saw that I was a Priest and I saw an opportunity. I had been thinking for a while back then on how to escape the cities without having them follow my tail. So, I took the man's body, seeing as he seemed to have a similar physique to mine, and burned the body, along with the small apartment I inhabited. With the evil deed done I then escaped the cities, end of story."

"What about autopsies?" she raised a suspicious eyebrow at him.

"The Church?" he scoffed, shaking his head in incredulity. "For all the technology we still have they have certainly let some technologies die out. That's a thing of the past, Marion, things you only read in books nowadays."

Both kept silent for a moment as they considered what to say, among all the things there were to be said. Marion was the one to finally break the silence, a disturbed look on her face. "You never searched for me. Where the hell in the Wastelands had you been?"

"Of course I didn't search for you, I was led to believe that you had been killed by vampires along with father," he answered with sadness and regret in his voice. "These last 4 years I have been alone, avoiding as much social contact as possible on the outskirts of Providence and going by the name of Jonathan Siv. I still continue my duties as Priest, to an extent; keeping Familiars in line and making sure vampires don't step out of their boundaries. I may have betrayed the Church but I must continue the duty God has bestowed upon me."

That explained why she never ran into him, Providence was a town she had rarely wandered into. It also explained why he had never searched for her or her father after the war, as she had originally believed. Of course the Church had to lie to him, it was the reason the Church had actively searched to kill her and her father. They played with his hope, made him believe that he was being selfish if he didn't serve in the war as a Priest. The Church made him feel guilty that the "deaths" of his sister and father could have been prevented had he joined the Priesthood willingly at an earlier time. Yet, it was hard to believe for Marion how much he had changed, spiritually at least. The man had once been like her and their father, without a solid belief in the existence of deities. Now he was before her, claiming that God had conferred him the power to fight vampires, a factor he had believed once to be of genetic origin.

"Well, it's you turn," his voice snapped her out her thoughts. "Now you know why you mourned me. Now tell me what I should know."

"Where do I start?" she wondered to herself, looking up at the ceiling and searching her thoughts. "After you were taken our house was blown up. Pops and I managed to escape through the bomb shelter. Now I know it was obviously to make you believe we were dead, so you would accept Priesthood. After that we mostly lived in hiding, going by aliases...Then the war was over and we waited, and waited. But you never came back...None of the Wastelands Priests came back...That's when Pops formed a rebel group, to bring down the Church..."

"He formed a rebel group? Just to get the Priests back?" Thomas frowned then in consternation. "I haven't heard of such a revolt. I'm taking it didn't work well for Pops," he paused then as if he had just recalled something. "How is he doing by the way?"

Marion's face twisted in a mixture of rage and sorrow, realizing he had concluded that if she was alive then their father must be as well. "He's dead, Tom. Pops is dead."

A grave silence fell between them as Thomas digested the news. His face was blank at first, then it distorted when he began pacing, moving as much as the chains allowed him. Part of his Priesthood training had been to hide his emotions, but it was too much all of a sudden. Anguish washed over his face then, running his hand through his shaggy hair in a manic way similar to Marion's, fully revealing his cross tattoo as he did so.

"What happened?" his voice cracked. Even though he had mourned Marion and his father years ago, when he saw Marion alive before him his hopes had risen that perhaps his father was living as well. But it was too overwhelming, the silent joy of seeing her alive, if albeit different, and the torment of knowing that his father was dead after all.

"The Church put a bounty on his head," she answered, trying to hide the distress his emotional state caused her. She just wanted to open the cell and hug him, to cry and suffer with him. And yet she couldn't allow that. "The members of the rebel group betrayed him then, when the Church offered them money for his head. They almost didn't kill him, he managed to defend himself long enough, until they mortally wounded him and he died...in my arms...I really wish he had taken me with him the day they got him, he practically limped back to our hiding spot."

"God," he closed his eyes then, pinching the bridge of his nose. He prayed silently under his breath, crossing himself before turning to look at his sister through watery eyes. "What did you do afterwards?"

"Me? I took the obvious step of course," she scoffed, looking down at her clawed nails, picking at them to avoid his distraught gaze. "I became an assassin and hunted down everyone that had contributed to separating and ruining us."

"You? A killer?" he narrowed his eyes, becoming more disturbed at the new bit of information. He refused to believe it, refused to accept that his little sister ended up as a murderer. And all of this brought down by the Church's influence? "I don't believe you. I just can't."

"No use denying it, Tom," bringing her hands back to the bars she gave him a cold glare. "I took out the members of the rebel group first, one by one. I then moved on to those men who had close associations with the Church, those who instigated us constantly, trying to convince Pops to let you join Priesthood. I finally turned to the churchmen, the missionaries who had vehemently tried to guilt us into giving you up for a greater cause. And that's when everything changed, almost a year ago...Who are you to judge me? Didn't you kill a man to fake your death?"

"It was in someone else's defense, it wasn't something motivated by revenge." Pausing, he suddenly recalled a name. The name of an infamous killer who had taken down men who fit the description Marion had just given him. He didn't want to believe it but the timeline was too coincidental. "That sounds like the description of Ghost."

Leaning her face forward, she looked at him darkly. "You're looking at her. I am Ghost."

"No," he shook his head disbelievingly. "My sister is not a killer. You are not my sister then!"

"Open your eyes, Thomas!" she barked at him furiously. "Your sister was faced with very, very difficult situations. Do not judge me! I have avenged father's death and I will continue his mission. I will destroy the Church; I will bring it to its knees. They _will_ know what suffering means."

"My sister doesn't have yellow eyes and she doesn't bear fangs," his voice turned cold then, staring blankly at her, his emotions hidden. "And she most certainly isn't a killer...Release me."

Staring at him in both shock and anger, she stepped away from the prison bars, holding back the urge to break down the prison bars and attack him. Had the Church blinded him so? "You are a fool if you don't believe my words!"

They both looked up towards the stairs then when they heard the door open. Black Hat walked down the steps, a predatory sway in his walk as he exchanged his gaze between Marion and the now shocked Thomas. "Why the animosity? I thought this might be a heartfelt reunion between siblings."

"Priest," Thomas spoke, his voice disbelieving, eyes wide with surprise. "But you fell, the vampires took you 7 years ago...What is this? What treachery is all of this?"

"I did fall and I rose as something better, as a stronger being," Black Hat was quick to answer his former comrade, stopping to stand closely beside the exasperated Marion. "I would appreciate it if you believed your dear sister. She is a great many things, but she isn't a liar."

"How is this even possible?" Thomas asked himself, taking his head between his hands and sitting down on the prison bed.

"Perhaps if you were more open minded you would be more willing to understand," Black Hat stated, bringing an arm around Marion's waist. "Wouldn't you agree, Ghost?"

"Believe what you want, Thomas," Marion spat at her brother, slapping Black Hat's arm away and running up the stairs, closing the door behind her.

"How are you alive?" Thomas asked quietly after a few moments.

"After the vampires took me they began devouring me, slowly and painfully," Black Hat explained. "That's when the vampire Queen appeared before me, showing me mercy and feeding me her blood, turning me into a human-vampire hybrid. A stronger species, the first of its kind."

Thomas raised his gaze, looking at his old ally's face. He was much like he remembered him, as if he hadn't aged a day over 30. But what had initially caught his stare were the yellow eyes much like his sister's. Thomas groaned in frustration as he concluded what was only logical by their explanations.

"Please," Thomas began, a silent plea in his voice, not wanting his conclusion to be true. "Please don't tell me...Marion, is she-?"

"A human-vampire like myself, yes," Black Hat answered for him, bringing his arms to rest through the prison bars. "You should know, though, that she chose it willingly. That sister of yours had, and has, guts like hell. The night I met her she tried to attack me, even though vampires flanked me. She didn't show the slightest hint of fright in the face of absolute death."

"You killed her," Thomas turned to Black Hat then, a bewildered look on his face. "You brought her down to join you. You damned her soul!" he stood up in a blur, making to grab Black Hat's arms, only to come up empty when Black Hat moved away from the cell at inhuman speed. "How could you stand this? How does a former Priest live with a damned soul?"

"No, I saved her, I gave her another chance to destroy the Church, and I gave her power. And she took it by choice, out of her own free will," Black Hat retorted, watching Thomas with a dangerous glint in his eye. "If anything, this transformation has allowed me to see the truth. The truth that the Church is corrupt. And that is the truth that Marion saw even before she became a human-vampire. She didn't need a transformation like I did to see the other side of the coin. I would say she is rather clever and smart, you should be proud to have her as a sister. I only wish I had her vision when I was human, I would have seen the truth at an earlier time...But then I wouldn't have met her."

"The citizens need protection, that is what both of you can't see," Thomas stated in a rigid voice. "I can't say that I am proud to have a sister who has turned into a killer, a monster...It is rather disheartening."

"You dare say that, even after she confessed to you what the Church did? Even after you lived through the harassment?" Black Hat scoffed, shaking his head as he smirked. "Then pray tell, why did you fake your suicide?"

Thomas was silent for a moment as he considered the answer, his eyes wandering around as if searching for the answer. "For utterly selfish reasons. It is the dreadful sin I must live with until the day I die...I take it you won't be releasing me anytime soon."

"That's not up to me," Black Hat answered, signaling with his head towards the stairs. "Marion holds your fate in her capable hands. She will determine that, it all depends on whether you cooperate with her or not."

Thomas was silent as he considered Black Hat's words. He never would have thought that he would be at his sister's mercy. Never would have contemplated either that she would end up as an assassin. He was enraged that his former comrade would bring his sister down even further by making her into a monster; it absolutely made his blood boil. He would rather have her dead and at peace than as a dangerous predator. And yet, Black Hat did not speak as if his sister was less than him. If he didn't know better he would say that he spoke rather highly of her, as if praising her. And the way he had stood so close to her and had brought an arm around her waist...

"You speak highly of her," Thomas commented, looking at Black Hat from the corner of his eye, seeing him raise an eyebrow. "Almost as if you are fond of her."

"How curious," Black Hat chuckled, nonchalantly crossing his arms over his chest. "The Priest is suddenly an emotional expert."

"No need to be an expert for what is obvious," Thomas replied with a smug tone, trying to push the earlier conversation to the back of his mind. Right now, he had a bit of nostalgia going on and was trying to get Black Hat to leave him to his own thoughts. "I may have joined the Priesthood late, but you always seemed to be the most obvious one, Priest Lucas."

"You keep telling yourself that, see how that works when I'm on a foul mood," Black Hat narrowed his eyes, baring his fangs at the Priest in a warning manner. "I'll leave you to your thoughts. I would suggest you try to reconsider your belief system. You are being nothing short of naïve if you hold fast to your dogma."

Black Hat turned to leave before Thomas' next words stopped him in his tracks briefly. "I will kill you if you hurt her," his tone was warning and determined. "And then I'll kill her to spare her the fate of a monster."

"A big threat for someone's who's being held prisoner," Black Hat replied sharply without turning to face him. "If it weren't for Marion you would be dead by now, by my hand. Be thankful to her that you still live," and with that the human-vampire finished ascending the stairs, leaving Thomas alone in the dark prison cell.

* * *

><p>Closing the door carefully behind him, he stepped into the reading room. He quickly found her, lying down on the rug before the fireplace, resting against several couch pillows. She ignored his presence, her eyes glued to the book she held close to her face. Tentatively, he walked towards her, crouching down next to her laying form.<p>

"What are you reading?" he finally asked.

"Geography," was her only answer as she turned a page a little too hard, ripping a bit of it away, her face drawn into a scowl.

"Anything in particular?" he tried to get her to talk more, though he knew she was obviously upset.

"The seas," she answered unenthusiastically, turning to lie on her side and away from him. "What did he tell you?"

Black Hat audibly sighed, sitting down beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "He holds fast to his faith and says that he's disheartened to have a sister who is a killer...He thinks I damned your soul."

She put away the book then, turning back around with a frown on her expression. "How can he be so blind? I don't understand...That isn't the Thomas I used to know...It's almost as if he has given up, resigned to a fate he doesn't have to accept."

"And that is what angers you," Black Hat stated looking into her distraught yellow eyes.

"Yes," she spoke softly, but there was a dangerous tone to it. "I just want to beat him until he comes to his senses, until he realizes how stubborn and unbending he has become...If you hadn't interrupted...I don't know what I would have done, I was on the verge of attacking him..."

"Exactly the reason why I interrupted," he confirmed, shifting to lie down next to her, bringing a hand to her cheek and caressing it softly with his thumb. "Whatever decision you make upon him I didn't want you to make it a hasty and messy one. You need time to dwell on it."

Nodding, she closed her eyes, placing a hand over his own, reveling in his reassuring touch. "Thank you for being so patient with me."

"You needn't thank me, this is a situation you must face," he studied her face carefully before he continued. "I wouldn't know what to do if I was suddenly faced with my old friends."

She simply stared at him for a few moments before boldly scooting close to him, surprising him even, and bringing an arm around his midsection, inhaling his scent as she did so. "Whatever I choose to do, please, remember that I won't betray you or my mission. Will you trust me, Lucas?" she couldn't deny it any longer; she cared for him, and the last thing she would want would be to hurt him.

Black Hat reacted to her embrace, bringing an arm around her waist and pressing a kiss against her head. He wanted to tell her that her brother was a lost case, that it was just better to kill him. But she didn't need that; she didn't need him to tell her what she was already deliberating about. Her animosity earlier was proof that she wasn't so keen to the change her brother had taken. It was ironic, he thought, that these siblings who had believed each other to be dead were now reunited and it was anything but an emotional reunion. Both were coming to similar conclusions, he realized. Thomas would rather have his sister dead than living as a monster, just as Marion would rather have her brother dead as well than have him so accepting to a faith that wasn't originally his. He recalled then, how originally he had told her he would do something she might not like if they ever found Thomas and she did nothing. But he could see in her eyes a hidden determination to not abandon her mission, to hold fast to it...and there was also concern for him.

"You have my trust, Marion," it seemed like a strange confession coming out of his mouth. The last time he had trusted someone on a personal level he was a human. But he couldn't deny that he truly trusted her. She had never done anything to hurt or betray him; she deserved his trust. After all, the Priest was right; beyond doubt he had grown very fond of her.

"Thank you," she whispered, searching his eyes as she brought a hand to his scruffy jaw. He held her gaze while she brought her lips a mere inches from his, her breath tingling his own lips. She finally closed the gap, letting out a content sigh as he readily reacted, devouring her lips eagerly. Throwing a leg over his hip, she brought her body flush against his, reveling in the close contact and eliciting a groan deep in his chest. They parted almost reluctantly after a few moments, panting as they rested their foreheads against each other briefly.

He could see the emotional exhaust in her features as he studied her face, deciding it would be best if she rested her mind for the time being. "Sleep, you need it," he spoke softly against her ear, keeping her in an embrace.

She nodded then, resting her head against the crook of his neck and letting her eyes close almost involuntarily as he held her. It wasn't long before sleep took her into her strange dreams.

* * *

><p><strong>Breathing softly, she awoke from her slumber to find herself lying against something warm. She felt a hand stroking her hair softly and realized she was lying on someone's lap.<strong>

**"Mother?" it escaped her lips almost unwillingly. She didn't know why she said it, or why she had assumed it was a woman caressing her hair. **

**"Not quite, my dear," the voice was elegant and held a regal tone to it. She groaned then, lifting her tired body from the woman's lap. Turning to look at her, she saw that it was an exotic looking woman, her skin a beautiful bronze, gorgeous almond eyes and long, straight black hair. But the woman's eyes shocked her the most; they were a wild shade of scarlet.**

**"Who are you?" Marion finally asked, frowning in confusion at the woman.**

**"I am many things, and none at the same time," the woman spoke in riddles as she stood up, long satin robes of different shades of violet flowing with her graceful movements as she walked in the gray sand they stood upon. There was nothing in sight for miles; it was nothing but a gray desert, were the only blotch of color emanated from the peculiar woman. "I am she who is no longer in your plain of existence, and yet my spirit lives on in the dreamscape."**

**"That didn't answer my question, lady," Marion stood up then, following the woman as she continued moving. "I would appreciate it if you didn't speak in riddles."**

**"I had a name once. No, I had many," the woman paused briefly as she seemed to be suddenly lost in thoughts, then she turned to Marion, gazing at her with those scarlet orbs. She grinned in a friendly manner, fangs peaking through in her mouth. "You may know me as Ishtar, it always was my favorite."**

**"Well, Ishtar, would you tell me then who **_**you**_** are," Marion urged the mysterious Ishtar to continue as she resumed walking and followed her.**

**"I was her sister, I am the other," her voice was serene as she spoke. "I am only able to reach a few, like yourself, but I can not reach him...His mind is too resistant. He accepts her too easily. You are the rebel, you always doubt, a skeptic by excellence."**

**"Why is he accepting of her?" Marion asked, once again the words seemed to flow out of her mouth almost on their own accord. Why did Black Hat's image come to mind when they spoke of 'he'?**

**"Because he has known nothing else," Ishtar replied, stopping in her tracks and bringing a clawed hand to caress Marion's cheek, almost in a motherly fashion. "But do not blame him, for it is not his fault. He has yet to gain experience. Give him time."**

**"Ishtar," Marion furrowed her brow and took the woman's hand in both of hers. "I don't understand. Are you trying to tell me to do something?"**

**"You will know what to do. Both of you will," Ishtar's eyes were savage and primitive, but her gaze seemed almost caring. "When the time comes you will get answers, learn truths, and you will meet them."**

**Marion frowned, shaking her head as she tried to make sense of it all. "Meet them? Meet whom? Of whom do you speak?"**

**"Time is precious, child, be patient," Ishtar stepped forward then and welcomed Marion into her arms. Not knowing what possessed her, Marion walked into Ishtar's arms, embracing her desperately as she did so. "Sacrifices are always necessary," Ishtar whispered against Marion's ear before digging her fangs into Marion's neck. Gasping, Marion dug her claws into Ishtar's back, her mouth gaping as pain and energy rushed through her. Just then the dream world began collapsing and everything turned to darkness.**

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thanks a bunch for the lovely reviews! I should mention that from here on I might not update very frequently, seeing as I'll be taking a summer course and studying for a grad school entrance exam :S. Nonetheless, I'll try to keep the updating on a weekly basis. Chapter 7 is already on its way and I've finished the timeline for the rest of the story ;). As always, I encourage constructive criticism (it really helps!) and ideas, let me know what you guys think. Oh and by the way, I should make it clear that this fic takes place before the events of the movie [though it will eventually catch up with the movie].


	7. Ashes to Ashes

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 7: Ashes to ashes<strong>

Marion woke up with a startle, her head knocking against a hard chin, provoking a groan from the victim. She brought a hand to her head as Black Hat rubbed his chin. Moving around she remembered they had fallen asleep together.

"Dream or nightmare?" his voice was hoarse from disuse as he watched her sitting up on the floor.

"Huh?" she looked down at him from her sitting position, her hand moving to touch the side of her neck, a lingering feeling over that area. "Oh, um, dream. Just a weird dream."

"Want to tell me about it?" he asked, crossing his arms behind his head.

"There was a strange woman," she began explaining, pinching the bridge of her nose as she tried to recall the dream completely. "I think she said her name was Ishtar. She spoke of strange things...I don't remember what exactly...She had fangs and she bit me just before I woke up."

Black Hat raised an eyebrow, an amused look drawing upon his features. "Mmm, that sounds very sexy," he chuckled whilst licking his upper lip sensually. Marion glowered at him and slapped his chest in annoyance. However, he grabbed her hand, pulling her on top of him, a surprised yelp escaping her lips.

"Pig!" she scowled at him as he held her on top of him, feeling his chest rumble with laughter under her. Fighting with his grip, she managed to scurry and sit up, holding him down with her hands on his chest.

"I rather like you from this angle." A smug smirk was plastered on his face, his hands idly stroking her clothed thighs.

She took notice of the compromising position she had landed in, with her legs straddling his waist. Making to stand up with a huff, she was suddenly stopped by Black Hat holding her down by her hips, a smug look on his face. She was about to protest but thought better of it, realizing that Black Hat was expecting that, his smirk giving him away. So the best way to counter him was with the unexpected.

"You like me from this angle don't you?" she mocked with a quirked eyebrow. He watched her, wondering what she was up to when she utterly surprised him, gyrating her hips in a painfully slow manner, rubbing against his crotch, teasing him. "How about now?"

His breath caught in his throat as he looked at her with wide, surprised eyes. "Marion-" he groaned, being cut off when she moved against him once again, his claws digging into the fabric of her pants as he held on to her thighs. Head snapping back, he closed his eyes, a growl building deep within his chest from the arousing friction.

She smirked devilishly, satisfied that her plan had worked. And yet, seeing him react like that didn't really help in her arousal department either, her evil plan backfiring on her when she felt something hard beginning to press against her while she moved against him. A gasp escaped her when his gaze suddenly caught hers as he opened his now lust-filled eyes. He was panting and gritting his teeth, his hands holding tightly to her as he began grinding his hips underneath her. Her hands clasped the fabric of his shirt, arching her back as a moan passed between her lips, one of his hands travelling upwards and moving underneath her shirt, grabbing a breast through the fabric of her bra. Leaning down towards him, she began kissing his neck hungrily when a scream tore through the air, surprising both of them.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Marion cursed as she quickly scrambled to her feet, putting on her boots. Looking at a frustrated Black Hat apologetically, he stood as well and she ran out of the library at full speed, Black Hat close behind her. They were in the prison in mere seconds, descending the stairs quickly to step into a pool of blood from a dead Familiar before Thomas' prison cell.

"Fucking hell!" Marion cursed when she saw the empty cell, looking frantically at Black Hat when he saw the scene. "We have to find him before he leaves the town."

"Watch your back," Black Hat warned, giving her an anxious look. "Your brother is fast like you."

She nodded as they both set off and separated to search for the missing Priest. Quietly and stealthily, she searched through several buildings, moving fast to avoid Thomas from exiting the town. She was in an edifice used for storage when she heard what was undeniably Black Hat's enraged growl in the distance. Making a beeline out of the structure she followed the noise of what she now recognized as the struggles of a fight, coming to a stop on the main road where she found them fighting. Without over thinking it, Marion sprinted towards them, lunging at Thomas just as Black Hat hit him with a roundhouse kick. As they landed on the ground, Thomas moved over her to punch her, gritting his teeth viciously as she barely dodged the punch, kicking him over her afterwards. Black Hat followed him as he crashed against a pole before Marion interceded, pushing Black Hat back.

"No!" she snarled and he gave her a bewildered look. "This is personal, leave him to me."

"Don't worry about that, _Ghost_," Marion snapped her head back towards the recovering Thomas. "I'll take him out after I take you down."

"Confident are we?" Black Hat growled, stepping forward again before Marion pushed him back roughly.

"I said stop!" she warned through gritted teeth, but her eyes caught his, silently begging him to allow her to continue with whichever plan she had.

"Enough talk!" Thomas swiftly threw knives at them, which they managed to dodge, separating them.

Marion followed her evasion by running past Thomas and stopping briefly to taunt him as he looked between her and Black Hat at his other side. Taking his momentary gaze towards Black Hat, she jumped right behind him, grabbed him by the neck before he could react and jumped through the air with him, landing them both in front of the horse stalls where they kept the bikes. Lashing out at her with his dagger, she aptly dodged him and caught his gaze, managing to make him pause briefly with her hypnosis.

"Grab a bike," she ordered, her yellow eyes holding his light-blue ones against his will. "And follow me. We'll settle this without interruptions."

Without a word she ran to a bike, turning it on as she watched him get one himself. Setting off into the desert, she looked back to see him following her closely. It killed her that she had left Black Hat in the dark regarding her current actions, but it wasn't planned. She was truly improvising...and she hoped that it worked. No, she hoped that she could carry it out.

* * *

><p>Black Hat ran after them as they left on their bikes, only to stop at the border of the ghost town with a growl of frustration, reconsidering his actions. She did ask him to trust her in her decisions, but he had never seen this coming. He knows what it is she wants to do, and yet he can't help but be utterly worried at what the consequences might be. Of what might happen to her.<p>

_'Whatever I choose to do, please, remember that I won't betray you or my mission,'_ her words resonated in his mind as he paced desperately, still deliberating on whether to follow them or not._ 'Will you trust me, Lucas?'_

"Fuck!" he cursed loudly, crouching down to punch the ground in anger. "Please...You have to come back."

* * *

><p>They arrived at a desolate area bounded by tall boulders, not a single town in sight for miles. Marion stopped first, doing a 180-degree spin as she screeched the bike to halt to face Thomas. They got up from their bikes, stepping away from them. Keeping distance between them, they faced each other.<p>

"I'm giving you the chance to choose, Thomas," Marion was the first to speak, about to declare the rules of the game.

"And those are?" Thomas replied in a defiant manner, his hand at a ready to grab his dagger.

"Join me, even if you don't accept becoming a human-vampire, and together let's continue father's mission. Let us bring down the tyranny of the Church. The bastards who tore us and many other families apart." She offered her hand out to him as she made the first suggestion.

"What's my other option?" he urged her to continue, his eyes watching her carefully.

There was a silent pause while she stared at him grimly before she answered, "You die by my hand."

Scoffing, he shook his head in disappointment. "You're not giving me the option to retreat peacefully and leave you alone."

"You think I'm a fool? I'm not naïve, Thomas," her expression contorted; insulted that he would think her an idiot. "I know you'll come back to hunt us if I just let you go. That much you've made obvious."

"Father didn't raise a fool then," he mused, a smirk finding its way to his lips briefly. Looking into her eyes, he knew she meant what she had said. And he wasn't about to just let them free to murder humans as they wished, much less destroy the foundation that held the citizens together. It would be irresponsible, he thought, to allow these _monsters_ free to do as they wished. Above all, he couldn't let his feelings get in the way of his mission...even if it killed him on the inside. "It ends like this then?"

Nodding, her expression turned sour as she tried to hide her anguish. "Yeah, there is no other logical way."

He gave her a longing gaze while unsheathing his dagger, readying his stance. "Please, understand that I'm only doing this because I love you, sister...I always have, and I will mourn you when this is done and through."

Letting out a brief, sad laugh, she gave him the first smile after many years. "You know I love you too, my dearest brother...I promise I'll make it quick, I hadn't the heart to make you suffer."

"It's settled then," was his last statement before he jumped high in the air without warning, coming down to slash down at her with the blade.

She dodged it by stepping back quickly, retaliating rapidly with a punch to his face. They engaged in a flurry of punches and kicks then, each landing occasional blows. However, Thomas instantly noticed that she truly was stronger and faster. Vampires moved fast, mostly in circular patterns, but she moved at an almost blurring speed, faster than him even, the fastest Priest during the war. Every time he managed to hit her it was almost as if she was absorbing the blows, going along with the movement of his attack, causing him to readjust his balance and center of gravity.

Grabbing his wrist when he aimed at her heart with his blade, she grunted as she spun and threw him overhead. Jumping, she landed next to him quickly just as he began to get back to his feet, kicking him in the gut and sending him flying through the air again, his dagger now forgotten. She sprinted towards him, without noticing that he still had throwing knives, which he aptly flung her way. One knife caught her in her left cheek and another on her ribcage, under her right breast, stopping her briefly in her tracks as she hissed and gagged briefly. This gave him the chance to run up to her and land a solid kick that threw her hard against a boulder, breaking through it.

Pulling the knives from her body, the one in the cheek leaving an open gash, her molars peaking through, she stood up and swayed in a dangerous manner towards him. He was in a defensive stance, watching her moves carefully trying to predict them. Her stride didn't falter as she continued towards him, her arms lowered at her sides in an uncaring fashion. Losing his patience and slightly perplexed at what she was trying to do, he threw several throwing knives at her, jumping in the air as he did so. Easily dodging the blades, she flew into the air once he was directly above her, grabbing his leg before he landed, spinning them both, and sent him crashing to the ground, a crater forming where he landed.

Thomas coughed up blood, holding his stomach as he painfully got up to his feet. He cringed as he did so, feeling a gush of pain run up the side of his thorax, probably from broken ribs. Against his body's protest, he brought his fists up in a defensive manner, seeing as he was out of weapons, and took a stance, his eyes scouting the area for his sister who seemed to have disappeared.

Holding on to the side of a tall rock, she silently watched him as he searched for her carefully. She needed to end this now; the more she stalled the less she wanted to fight him. Truly and ironically, he has been the most formidable opponent she has fought to date. But she was more powerful and this surprised her, even though Black Hat had mentioned that they were stronger and faster than Priests.

Crawling silently down the side of the rock, she stepped with light feet on to the ground when he passed the giant slab of stone. _'Now or never,'_ and with that thought in mind she bounded in a dash towards him. His ears picked up her light footing, turning around just as she was upon him. He threw a fast kick at her, but she was quicker, dodging the attack and continuing with her momentum until she came around to his back. _'Now!'_

In a quick flurry, her hands struck his back four times, successfully hitting four pressure points. Almost instantly, Thomas stiffened, his breath hitching in his throat as his body paralyzed from the neck down. Eyes wide in surprise, his body gave under him as it limped, falling backwards to the ground. Gasping, he looked up at her in astonishment, his mouth opening and closing as the shock subsided.

"You..." she looked down at him with a distressed frown as he tried to speak. "You win."

Crouching down to her knees, she brought him into her arms, encircling his paralyzed body in the hug she had been yearning to give him. "I'm sorry...Human-vampires, we are not like the normal vampires...We, Black Hat and I, are stronger," she explained, placing a hand to his face.

"I can see that," he smirked grimly as he looked into her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

"What are you sorry for?" she frowned in confusion at her brother. "I'm the one who's going to kill you."

"I'm sorry that you had to carry this burden," his brow furrowed as his eyes watered suddenly, his expression distraught. "This burden of having your family dying in your arms...It shouldn't be this way, not for you...Not for the youngest of the family..."

She let out a miserable laugh, her eyes stinging with bloody tears as she brushed his hair from his face. "It's cruel...But this is what the circumstances have forced me to bear with."

"I know," he closed his eyes briefly. "We have been unwittingly set against each other...One of us had to die in the end."

"I gave you a choice," she scowled at him, upset that he didn't accept to join her.

"A choice to follow you down a path I couldn't accept," he opened his eyes and paused briefly, giving her a grim gaze before continuing. "You must kill me before I regain my movement. I will try to kill you if I am able to move again."

She nodded briskly, pursing her lips together and feeling something wet trickle down her cheeks as she brought a hand to lay on his chest, over where his heart might be.

"You cry blood now," his own tears began to fall as he gave her a sympathetic smile. "It looks so tragic on you...Like you really are suffering...Makes me almost think that you still have a soul..."

"Believe what you want, it matters not anymore," her hand clutched the fabric over his chest, ripping through it with her claws. "I promised you I would make it quick."

"That seems so kind of you," he grinned then through his tears.

There were a few moments of silence as they just simply stared at each other, as if saying their silent goodbyes. Marion was the one to finally break the silence. "I'll miss you...I'm sorry that we couldn't share as true siblings again..."

"It's alright," he gave her a half-hearted smile. "At least I will go to the other plane of existence by looking at you...even if your eyes are no longer there...It is strangely comforting in a way."

The hand over his heart straightened then, the tips of her fingers pressing against his chest. "Goodbye, Tom,"

"Bye, Mari," he whispered, closing his eyes in expectance of the blow that would kill him.

It only took a second for her to finish the deed. She ground her teeth together, a growl rumbling through her as she pulled her hand back and, in a swift strike, drove it through his chest, ripping clean through his heart. A gasp escaped him, his eyes widening when her hand ripped through him, his body tensing momentarily. And then it was over. She held on to his now lifeless body, still holding the back of his head with one hand, the other still inside his chest. Watching his dilating pupils, those light-blue eyes frozen by death, she expected to sob. She was expecting to wail, curse and throw a fit of grieving rage. And yet she didn't, not knowing either why her tears had stopped flowing.

Finally retrieving her hand from his chest, she brought it to his face, running it carefully over his eyelids to close them, leaving a bloody trail behind. Laying his corpse gently on the ground, she took his head in between her hands and placed a gentle kiss to his forehead, right in the center of his cross tattoo.

"You were the last remnant of my humanity," she mused to herself, beginning to understand why she wasn't crying. Standing, she stared down at the lifeless body. "I can now declare that I am truly Ghost."

* * *

><p>Watching the horizon from the rooftop of their house, he let out a frustrated growl, fed up with waiting. Jumping from the roof to the dusty road, he made his way to the bikes. He was about to start up his vehicle when, suddenly, he heard the faint roar of a bike in the distance. Running out to the trail again, he narrowed his eyes, trying to discern who was approaching the abandoned town.<p>

_'Let it be her,'_ he begged in his mind, repeating it to himself as the figure got closer. Finally, he let out a sigh of relief when he could recognize the blonde head, approaching fast in her bike as the sun set behind her.

She came to a stop right in the middle of the road when he noticed that she had something wrapped in a cloth on the back of her vehicle; something that clearly resembled the form of a body. But that wasn't his main concern right now, approaching her as she dismounted the machine. The evidence of a fight was obvious in her face and body, particularly an open wound on her left cheek and another on her ribcage. Other than that, she seemed physically fine and the wounds were already healing. Before she could say or do anything, he just pulled her into his arms for a tight embrace.

"I was afraid you might not return, I almost set out after you," he spoke against her hair, stroking it softly with one hand as the other held her by the waist. Her arms came around him then, returning the action.

"Thank you for trusting me," she whispered before pressing a kiss to his jaw. "I am going to Jericho now. I will burn his body there, on the remnants of our old house, the house we grew up in."

Black Hat pulled back slightly to look down at her, slightly puzzled as to why she seemed so calm despite having heavily grieved Thomas when she thought him dead all those months ago. "Are you alright? You seem so...calm, unaffected."

"I already grieved him when I thought him dead," she shrugged, pursing her lips as she let out a breath through her nose before continuing. "And now...Now that he has died by _my_ hands, something unthinkable, it is as if I've cut off something that made me cling to my past, to my humanity...something that held me back."

He nodded in understanding, bringing a hand to brush against her cheek. "Does this change things? Change you I mean."

"This allows me to concentrate on the present," she took his face between her hands, bringing his head down to rest her forehead against his, their noses brushing together as she closed her eyes. "I will continue to be the Marion you know...But I will be Ghost to the rest of the world."

Bringing his fingers to her chin, he brushed her lower lip lightly, having Marion open her eyes to look at him. "You will be Marion...only for me?" he pulled back slightly to look at her expression, giving her an intriguing look.

Despite the situation and her current state, she somehow seemed flustered for a few fleeting seconds, avoiding his intense gaze as she answered, "Yes, only for you, Lucas...You met me as Marion and I shall remain your- the Marion you met," she quickly corrected herself when she slipped a 'your', having said it completely on impulse.

Black Hat, however, smirked, having noticed her slip and how she quickly corrected herself. It greatly delighted him that she would consider herself 'his', gave him a twinge of pleasure. "I rather like that, Marion." Either way, he would accompany her to Jericho to do what she must. "And I will go with you to Jericho."

* * *

><p>They were silent as she carried Thomas' body to lay it on the center of the ruins of the house, weathered down by abandonment. Placing it gently over the old wood floor, or what remained of it, she took the time to accommodate him, bringing his hands together over his chest. Looking towards her left wrist, she seemed to consider something before removing her father's Buddhist rosary, wrapping it over his hands carefully. Black Hat raised an eyebrow when he saw her do that, considering she held that rosary dearly to herself.<p>

"Are you sure you want to burn it?" he asked in thoughtfulness.

"Yes." She stood up then, turning to face him with determination written on her face. "It's a part of my past that dies with Thomas. I only want to concentrate on the present and our mission from this point onward," she stepped close to him, bringing a hand to caress his cheek.

"If that is your decision," he held her hand against his cheek, looking at her in understanding.

"It is," she reaffirmed, reaching up to place a chaste kiss to his lips before pulling back to continue with the funeral pyre, reaching in her coat's pocket for a lighter.

Black Hat followed, emptying a container of gasoline over the body and the surrounding area. They both stepped back until they were outside the foundations of the ruined building. Taking a bottle of kerosene with a roll of papers inside the neck of the bottle, she lit the paper, throwing it towards the center of the ruins, catching fire almost instantly. They stood back then, watching how the flames grew and engulfed the deceased Priest's body.

He observed her from the corner of his eyes. There was a passive aura that seemed to linger around her now, as if a great weight had been lifted from her shoulders. This was the symbolic ritual of cutting her final ties she had of her past life, of her life as a human, he mused. He then realized that the decision she took with Thomas was probably the choice he would have to take if faced with his former Priest comrades, with Isaac and Sarah. They joined him or they died, there was no other way.

No words were exchanged between them as the tall flames lit the dark desert. Words weren't needed either as Black Hat moved his hand, his fingers tentatively touching Ghost's as they stood side by side. She responded to his action, lacing her fingers with his, yet their gazes remained on the pyre under the night sky.

A single thought had resonated in her mind as she watched the savage flames, the thought spoken by an exotic voice unlike her own, _'Sacrifices are necessary.'_

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Thank you all for the reviews! Augh, sorry that the fight scene is so damn short, I really have no imagination for describing fight sequences. Chapter 8 is already in the works and I'll give you guys a heads up that it's going to be a sort of intermission chapter before this story catches up with the movie timeline. As always, I encourage constructive criticism (it really helps!) and ideas, let me know what you guys think.


	8. Between Two Lungs

**Warning:** There is actual sexual content in this chapter (as in a sex scene). You have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 8: Between Two Lungs<strong>

_4 months later_

"No more!" Closing the wretched book, she turned her head to look at him with a pout. "It's horrid, I can't go on reading this shit!"

"Don't be such a prude," Black Hat laughed taking her hands and having her open the book again. "It's shit, true, but it's hilarious."

She raised an eyebrow at him and huffed, readjusting herself where she lay in the couch between his legs. Searching the page where they stopped she continued reading aloud, "...it was like a million diamonds were embedded on his skin- Wait, what? Luc!" she snapped her head back, using the nickname she had given him, hitting his chest and looking up at his eyes, squinted from laughter. "I can't continue reading, it's pathetic!" she tried to hold back but she began laughing as well.

"Diamonds, unbelievable," he managed to speak through his fit.

"Oh dear, I've officially lost you," she chuckled as she crawled from between his legs and stood up from the couch, taking his hands in hers and urging him to stand up. "Come on, it's almost dusk, we should go out to hunt."

Finally controlling his chuckling, he turned, bringing his feet down from the couch to sit properly. Instead of standing up with her, he pulled her, taking her by the waist and having her sit on his lap, his arms around her. "You know what? I just remembered that we had a dinner planned that never took place."

"Oh yeah, I completely spaced out on that," she mused, bringing an arm to rest behind his neck. "Are you suggesting something then?" she quirked a playful eyebrow.

"How about you meet me for dinner tonight, put on that pretty dress we picked out back then, and I'll go and get us dinner," he suggested, pulling her closer so that he could lay his head against the crook of her neck.

She laughed when his scruff brushed against her skin, running her hands through his hair and pulling him back to look him in the eye. "Sounds wonderful. Let's just hope nothing ruins it this time."

"Nothing will," he caught her lips with his own, giving her a deep kiss before pulling back, resting his forehead against hers as his eyes remained closed.

Ghost's eyes shifted, intrigued by his sudden tranquility, doing nothing but resting against her, his breaths coming out softly. She pulled back her head, but he opted for laying his head against her shoulder, sighing contentedly as he did so. She tentatively ran her fingers through his hair, resting them at the nape of his neck. He seemed so...happy. Sighing, she opted to rest her head against the top of his own, seeing as he had no apparent intention to do anything else. She mused on how strange it was that he would just stay quiet and hug her, rest against her...and nothing else. No witty remark, no teasing, no ass grabbing, no stolen kisses. She had found out in the last months that if Black Hat had someone near, well someone he could talk to at least, he couldn't shut up. Even when they hunted he had the habit of talking to his victims, making sure to scare them beyond shitless before he killed them. Not her, she preferred to be less words and more brutal with her victims.

"Luc?" she finally inquired after minutes of silence.

"Hm?" he replied simply, readjusting his head against her shoulder, nuzzling the crook of her neck.

"Are you alright?" she asked, a laugh escaping her as his scruff tickled her once again.

"Never better, dear," he responded contentedly, pulling back finally to give her a smirk before pecking her quickly on the lips. "I'll get going then and leave you to get ready."

"Alright," she stood up, pulling him up with her. "Don't take too long," and with that they parted their separate ways.

* * *

><p>"Well, don't you look dashing," he turned to the sound of her voice, watching her descend the stairs to the main room. Originally they planned to do this on the rooftop, but luck would have it that out of all the rare times it rained this was one of them. She grinned as she admired his dark suit, a white dress shirt underneath adorned with a black tie, his hair slicked back and his face clean-shaven.<p>

"And don't you look gorgeous," he grinned, admiring how the dress hugged her small curves just right. She smiled, her lips adorned by a rich burgundy color, her eyes accentuated by dark eyeliner, and her dirty-blonde waves held in an elegant bun, the shorter strands framing her face. Offering his hand out to her, she took it as she finished descending the stairs. However, she suddenly pouted, her brow furrowing as she brought a hand to brush along his jaw line. "What's wrong?"

"You shaved," she replied. "I actually liked your scruff."

Chuckling, he shook his head before responding, "I'll take note of that." He led her to the table he had set up, taking out the chair for her and pushing it in as she sat.

"Creative are we?" she quirked an amused eyebrow taking notice of the blood filled wine bottles.

"You don't know messy it was," he chuckled, sitting across from her, straightening his tie as he did so. "Care for a glass?"

"Yes, please," she answered as he poured the blood for her on a wine glass. She waited for him to fill his own glass before bringing her own to her lips, taking a small sip of blood.

"Cheers," he raised his glass, a smirk on his face.

"What are we drinking to?" she inquired before raising her own glass.

"Our lives," he began, a sincere look in his yellow eyes. "The future and our mission. To the great fall we will bring to this rotten world."

"Hmm, I like the sound of that. Cheers then," she answered as they clinked their glasses together and each took a drink. Staring at her glass for a few moments, she silently chuckled when she realized something.

"Mind to share the joke?" Black Hat raised an amused eyebrow at her.

"I just realized," she took a sip from her glass and continued. "That our dinner only consists of blood glasses. There's no cutlery or dishes."

He chuckled before answering, "It's true, but if you think about it it's less messy."

"Oh, that reminds me," she gulped down the rest of her glass, because truth be told she was bloodthirsty, and stood up.

Black Hat watched her curiously as she walked to the old jukebox that stood abandoned in the corner of the main room and began fiddling with it. "I thought that old thing didn't work."

"I managed to fix it the other days. Now if I could just-" she cut herself off when the machine seemed to fail on her. "Stupid thing," she gave it a kick then and the machine suddenly began playing. "There we go, nothing a little rough love can't fix," walking over to him, she took his hands and urged him to stand up, an enthusiastic smile on her face. "Dance with me."

Black Hat raised an eyebrow, rather confused at her giddy attitude. "I didn't know you could dance," he stood up nevertheless and allowed her to lead him to the small worn down dance floor.

"I don't actually," she replied. "But I read about it and I want to try it."

"You'll have to teach me then," he stated, not truly knowing where he was supposed to place his hands.

"No problem," she pouted her lips then, recalling the moves in her mind. "Right, so your right hand goes here," she took his right hand and placed it against her lower back. "And your left hand goes here with mine," she continued, taking his left hand with her right one, placing their joined hands at around shoulder level. "And we step. I move my left foot back and you move your right one forward," they tried it, with a bit of a stumble, but succeeded. Black Hat kept his gaze down, making sure not to step on her feet as he followed her directions.

"Is this right?" he asked once he sort of got the hang of it and continued moving with her.

"Yeah, I think we're doing it right," she grinned up at him, enthusiasm evident in her eyes, obviously excited that she had managed to lead him to dance with her.

It was such a strange contrast, he mused, how different she seemed to be when she was the hunter, Ghost, and when she was the calmer woman, Marion. While she hunted she was brutal, and reveled in prolonging her victim's suffering before killing them. But with him...with him she was just Marion. She still had a temper to match at times, particularly when he teased her, but she also had these moments when she would be excited or giddy about the silliest and simplest things. Like at the present moment, where she was thrilled to have successfully gotten them to dance, something that had been alien to both of them. But he had found himself enjoying those simple things, like the habit he had formed of reading with her frequently or having her read to him. As a Priest their reading was limited to texts approved by the Church, so reading with Marion was a completely different experience and perspective. She had truly become part his new outlook, one that had been born the day he was transformed, and he wanted her to continue to be there with him in his journey towards the fall of the Church, beyond that even. It only motivated him even more to ask her the question he had been itching to ask her.

"Lucas," her voice snapped him out of his thoughts, realizing that their dance had gotten slower to match the soft music.

"Hmm?" he inquired, bringing her closer to him and leaning his head close to hers, kissing her cheek.

"Do you...like me?" she timidly asked, something so unlike her.

He turned his head slightly to search for her eyes. "What do you think, Marion?"

Her eyes shifted for a moment, feeling self-conscious at him watching her so intensely. She gulped and answered, "I want to think that you do..." And that she really wanted to. They had been flirting, kissing, touching and teasing each other for months now, behaving like a couple in general, but neither had ever brought up the conversation of where their relationship stood, they just went with how things were developing.

"You're wrong then," his face was serious as he held her gaze.

"Oh," she quickly avoided his stare then and her body momentarily tensed, feeling like such a fool at that moment. "Sorry I even brought that-"

"I adore you," he declared, his tone sincere.

She paused at his words and finally looked into his eyes again. "Come again?"

"I said that I don't like you," he repeated bringing his fingers to tuck a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "I adore you, love you even."

Not being able to help it, she grinned, avoiding his gaze as she blushed madly. "I thought you needed a soul to love."

"According to the Church," he replied gravely, tilting her chin up to have her look at him. "What about you? Will you tell me how you feel?"

Smiling widely, she took his face in her hands, bringing him down to kiss his lips fully. "Gods, I love you so damn much."

* * *

><p>It was almost dawn when they decided to retire for the day, having spent the rest of the night talking idly, ending up curled together on the living room couch.<p>

"Thank you for the lovely dinner," she pecked his lips softly, lingering against them before pulling back, standing at her doorway looking up at his characteristic smirk.

"You're welcome, it was my absolute pleasure," he took her chin in his fingers and brushed his thumb softly across her lower lip, parting it slightly. "Sweet dreams."

"Hopefully," she replied taking his hand from her chin in both of hers and holding it against her chest. _'Please don't leave, stay with me.' _Holding his gaze, she gave him a silent plea, hoping he would take the hint. And he better damn get it, he'd teased her all through the night and that part of her that _yearned_ for him was starting to boldly come to the surface, motivated by his earlier declarations. "I'll see you later then."

"Sleep well," he whispered, leaned close and kissed the top of her head. The look in her eyes yelled at him to just get it over with and not stall any longer. Unwillingly, he stepped back, releasing his hand from her grip and turning to leave to his room.

She silently sighed, stepping into her room and closing the door behind her, leaning against it as she huffed in frustration, damning the sexual tension that was torturing her. Resigning herself to her wait, she pushed herself off the door to start undressing when she heard heavy and fast footsteps in the hallway, the sound getting closer. Frowning, she was about to open the door when it was suddenly flung open, startling her as Black Hat stepped in a rush into her room and slammed the door behind him.

"Luc, what-Hmph!" she began but was cut off by his lips crashing against hers, kissing her roughly and passionately as he held her face in his hands. Her eyes were wide as he kissed her, confused at his sudden action. Before she knew it, he had parted from her lips and pressed his forehead against hers, nudging her nose with his own.

"Be my mate," his voice was husky, speaking against her lips. "Accept me as your mate."

She gasped at his request, not having expected that at all. But that was it. That broke her resolve, it was the last motivation she needed. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him fervently. "How could I say no? Of course I accept you."

Gazing at her for a moment, a gratified look in his eyes, he took her lips in his again, her feet leaving the floor in less than a second as he brought an arm under her bottom and the other around her back, lifting her and pressing her petite frame against his. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her dress riding up as she furiously kissed him, finally letting out all her pent up tension. Their tongues swirled into each other's mouths in haste as Black Hat walked both of them to the bed, placing her against the mattress and standing back to remove his jacket.

She scooted to the corner of the bed, reaching out and curling her fingers into the band of his pants, pulling him closer as he removed his tie, a smirk plastered on his face. Standing from the bed, she quickly removed his belt as he kicked off his shoes, her heels following suit. Growing impatient with his slow unbuttoning of his shirt, she grabbed his collar, pressing eager kisses to his neck and snapping the shirt open, buttons flying astray.

"Eager, are we?" he mocked as he shrugged the ruined shirt from his frame, her hands going straight to explore his naked chest, abdomen and back, her lips latching to his neck. Taking her by the shoulders, he turned her around and pulled her against him, bringing an arm across her chest and breathing against her ear. "No need to take it so fast, I'll be inside you eventually," he spoke hotly, nibbling her earlobe and his fingers searching for the zipper of her dress.

Shuddering, a whimper escaped her lips at his comment, letting her head fall against his chest, her own chest heaving in anticipation. His fingers finally found her zipper and pulled it down in a painfully slow manner. Shrugging it off from her shoulders, the gown pooled around her ankles. Stepping out of the discarded dress, she unconsciously crossed her arms over her chest; all the while he caressed her naked upper back and rounded a hand over the curve of her ass before turning her around to face him.

"So shy all of a sudden," he smirked, taking her wrists and uncrossing her arms, taking a step back to admire her figure, and particularly the tight corset she was wearing, her well endowed breasts pressed tight into a daring cleavage. Gods, it absolutely made his mouth water. She avoided his gaze; her cheeks flushed at having him scrutinize her figure so intensely. Pulling her close until there was no space between them, he brought a hand to rest on the small of her back while the other caressed her cheek. "So beautiful...You have no reason to be ashamed."

"I hate this stupid corset," she admitted as she placed her hands on his chest.

"I rather like it," he whispered, his voice husky and filled with lust as he leaned in to kiss her neck hungrily.

She sighed contentedly, letting her head fall back and holding on to his shoulders as he ravaged her neck. Then she twitched slightly when she felt something pressing against her belly. Realizing it was his arousal she let out a small moan of anticipation. Bringing her hands between them, she fiddled with his pants, unbuttoning and unzipping them, struggling to pull them off with him giving so much attention to her neck. Sneaking a hand into his pants, she pressed it against his throbbing erection through the fabric of his boxers. He stopped kissing her neck suddenly, pulling back to groan and grind his teeth as she fondled him, a triumphant smirk plastered on her face.

"What's that? I didn't quite catch it," she teased him as he arched into her touch.

With a growl, he suddenly removed her hand, picked her up by the waist and brought her back to the bed, crawling on top of her.

"Keep doing that and I might _finish _before I'm even inside you." His predatory gaze made her gasp as he brought a knee between her legs to part them. Before she could react, a hand found its way to her crotch, rubbing her through the fabric of her undergarments, causing her to moan and arch under his touch.

"Speak up, I didn't quite catch that," he growled against her ear, returning her tease. Sneaking the hand underneath the waistband of her panties, he fingered her sensitive bundle of nerves, her mouth agape and her back arched as a long moan left her lips. He licked his lips briefly while he watched her chest heaving, her supple breasts seeming as they might escape the confinement of the corset. "That's better, that's what I thought I heard."

"Shut up," she groaned, baring her fangs at his comeback. Her hands found his shoulders then as his fingers continued fondling her, digging her nails into his skin. "Get this- Ah!...Get this stupid thing off!" she managed to speak through the pleasure that was coursing through her.

"So soon?" he arched an eyebrow, his eyes adverting from her gaze to the 'stupid thing' she was referring to, the corset. "But I was actually enjoying the view. Isn't it comfy?" speaking against her ear, he darted his tongue out to lick her earlobe, letting more of his weight fall on her, pressing his chest against her already constricted breasts. She began breathing faster then as he probed around her already wet core, teasing her before inserting a finger into her, a groan slipping past her lips. "Or would my hands and mouth be more comfortable on your tits?"

Whimpering at his suggestion and ministrations, she found his lustful gaze. "Just...Take it-" he inserted a second finger into her, stretching her, legs parting further. "Luc!" her breath hitched in her throat, closing her eyes and snapping her head back, his fingers moving in and out of her and her hips grinding against his hand.

"I'll take that as the second option," he abruptly removed his hand from between her legs, a whimper escaping her at the loss of contact. Bringing a hand behind her, he began fiddling with the laced knot that held her corset together, growling when he couldn't get it loose and just opting for ripping out the lace. Pulling open the tight undergarment, she raised her arms over her head for him, sitting up briefly as he pulled it over her head and discarded it to the floor. His eyes briefly scanned her breasts as she fell back against the mattress before descending upon her. His mouth latched on to one of her breasts, covering the other with his hand, his thumb flicking the pert nipple.

A gasp left her breathless, arching against him and lacing her fingers through his hair, holding him against her. "Luc..." she panted, closing her eyes and reveling in the sensation of his mouth hungrily devouring her, tongue flicking against her nipple. His hand travelled downwards then as he switched his mouth to give attention to other breast. Hooking his fingers around the waistband of her panties he pulled at them.

"Lift your hips," he spoke against her breast. She responded instantly, lifting her hips from the bed as he left her momentarily to pull off her underwear, joining the pile of clothes in the floor. Hovering over her again, he pinned her body against the mattress with the weight of his body, finding her lips and kissing her eagerly.

Legs wrapping around his waist, her hands travelled down his back until she reached the waistband of his undergarments, pulling them down the curve of his ass. Briefly separating from her, he helped her remove the piece of clothing, hissing as his erection was released from its confinement. Pressing his face against her neck, he nudged her, taking in her scent and licking along her pulse, her muscles twitching under his ministrations.

"Lucas..." she shuddered as his fangs grazed her skin, her nails digging into his back. "Take me...Ravage me..."

A snarl ripped through him then as he bared his fangs. Supporting his weight with one arm and bringing his other hand down to one of her thighs, he held her close, entering her in a single thrust. Ghost released a long moan as he filled her, her back arching off the bed as she closed her eyes from the overwhelming pleasure. Black Hat released a gratified groan, remaining still inside her as she adjusted to his size and the sensation of having him inside of her, legs holding him close and no space left between them.

He began moving then, withdrawing painfully slow before ramming back in, and her muscles trembled underneath him. It wasn't long before he accelerated his pace until he was pounding into her, her hips grinding against him. Placing sloppy kisses against his jaw line, she felt his fangs grazing against her pulse once again, and she had a distinct idea of what he wanted to do.

"Do it," she managed to speak through her panting, breathing hotly against his ear.

With a growl ripping through his chest, he pulled back his lips, bearing out his fangs before digging them into her neck as he continued ramming into her.

She tensed momentarily, her fingers clenching where they held on to his shoulders, cutting into his skin. Her breath hitched in her throat then as he drank her blood, her mouth agape and her eyes wide from the sensation.

Unlatching his fangs from her neck, he stared at her, his pupils now dilated and filled with uncontrollable lust as blood dripped from his lips. Ghost felt small and helpless under his intense and devouring gaze, avoiding it while she panted underneath him, his hips grinding against hers as he pounded into her. It made her wonder, what had her blood done to him all of a sudden?

"Look at me," he breathed hoarsely, grabbing her jaw and bringing her face back to stare up at him. She whimpered, her chest heaving, breasts squished against his chest, staring into those lustful eyes, his gaze eating her up. His mouth crashed down against hers then, tasting her blood on his lips. Moaning against his mouth she grabbed his face, suddenly feeling the urge to just devour those lips of his. "Go ahead," he growled against her lips, nipping her lower lip before continuing. "Complete this bond, feel what I feel."

She gasped and moaned when he hit a specific spot inside of her when he angled her hips for better access, the pressure and heat building in her lower abdomen. He exposed his neck to her in invitation, their sweat-slicked bodies sliding against each other. She hesitated for a moment, but the urge was stronger, the urge to bind to him and fully accept him as her own, as her mate. Finally, with a snarl she bared her fangs, grabbing the nape of his neck and pulling his neck towards her, biting down on his neck, fangs breaking through his skin. She felt his growl vibrating through her, but it was soon forgotten when she felt an overwhelming energy by drinking his blood. Groaning, her claws scratched along his back and her thighs clenched tightly around his hips, suddenly understanding what it was that he felt when he drank her blood. She felt an unspoken raw passion, and something that she couldn't quite describe. It was as if an invisible force was tying her to him. She finally forced herself to part from his neck, gasping loudly when she did, as if she had been holding her breath underwater. Looking up at him, his eyes half-lidded and his lips parted as he panted, it was like seeing him with a new light, a new meaning.

"Lucas..." she moaned out his name as he bucked his hips faster, pounding vigorously into her as she neared her climax. "S-so close...Ah!" she stuttered as the heat inside her intensified and he came back to her mouth, licking her clean of his blood. She could tell he was close as well, his face contorting and his teeth grounding together, his lips kissing hers in a desperate manner before moving down to her neck, nipping and licking her wound.

With a sudden groan, her muscles tightened in a series of spasms around him as her orgasm rocked through her body without warning. Arching against him, her breath left her as the delicious pleasure ran through her body. He grunted as her inner walls tightened around him, increasing the pace of his thrusts with no real rhythm, pounding hard into her before finally stiffening above her, calling out her name as he released inside her, his face blemished with pleasure and his back arching against her. Feeling his heat flood into her and fill her, she let out a deep satisfied breath, though they were both still heaving. He collapsed on top of her after a moment, completely spent, allowing his head to rest against her shoulder, his breath tingling her neck while her fingers curled through his hair as they both trembled in recovery.

After a few moments, Black Hat withdrew from her, lifting his weight from her body and lying on his side, bringing an arm around her mid-section as she turned her head to look at him with dazed eyes. Her eyes begin to droop tiredly, even though all she wants to do is stare into his yellow eyes.

"You're tired," he manages to speak, his voice husky as his breathing begins to calm. "Sorry I tired you out, my dear."

Chuckling, she scoots closer to him, nudging her nose along his neck and taking in his scent; musk tainted with sex. "I didn't know you had such an ego. I'll be careful not to encourage it too much," she teases, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes, realizing that he is tired as well.

Smirking, he places a kiss to her forehead. "You take note of that...For now, go to sleep, we both need it."

She nods; resting against his chest as her eyes unwittingly close, sleep overtaking her.

* * *

><p><strong>A knock wakes her, frowning and looking over to the clock on her bed stand, wondering whom it could be at 2:20am. Sitting up in her bed and standing up, she rubs her eyes, walking to the door. Opening it, she was met by a woman shorter than her, her skin a beautiful tan, black hair reaching past her shoulders and her almond eyes looking up at her.<strong>

**"Sarah?" she was surprised that her voice wasn't her own, but that of a man, a very familiar man. But she also realized that she wasn't really controlling her actions. "Is there something wrong? What happened?" the voice coming out of her mouth was tinged with worry as she allowed the woman to step into the dormitory.**

**"I...I must confess, but I dare not do it before the clergy," she turned to her and saw that her almond eyes were watery with unshed tears. **

**"Just tell me what's wrong, you're starting to worry me," the body she was in stepped closer to the woman, manly hands coming into her vision as they held the woman, Sarah, by the shoulders.**

**Gaping up at 'her', her brow furrowed in distress, making her confession. "I love him, Lucas...I try not to but...I do." Sarah's head bowed then, tears falling freely down her cheeks. **

**"Sarah..." she shushed, pulling her into a comforting hug as the woman sobbed softly. "It's alright...It's alright, no one will know...Though, I already had the suspicion that you did."**

**Looking up with alarmed eyes Sarah replied, "Does it show? Does anybody else know?"**

**Ghost's vision moved sideways as she shook her head unwittingly. "No...I just know it because I'm your friend, you're easier for me to read."**

**Sarah nodded vigorously, sniffling as she stepped back, calming herself. "It hurts so much...Sometimes I wish we didn't have these vows tying us down."**

**"I know..."**

* * *

><p><strong>She was running for her life, hearing creatures growling at her feet, seeing the light get closer and closer at the end.<strong>

_**'Almost there!'**_** the voice in her head was filled with hope as she followed the man running in front of her. The man almost reached the exit and she was ready to sigh in relief when, suddenly, her feet were taken underneath her, falling down and grasping at the ground for dear life as the monsters pulled at her feet. The man jumped back, managing to grab her hand, and tried to pull her back, both of them grunting in the tug o' war. **

_**'Don't let go, please don't let go, Isaac,'**_** her thoughts were desperate as she looked into those light-blue eyes, begging him to hold on. **_**'Don't let go, brother!'**_

**Horror hit her as Isaac's fingers began slipping in their grip and her eyes widened in terror at the realization that she was doomed. A final plea died in her horrified eyes, never wavering from the light-blue ones, and his grip faltered, a scream, not like her own, ripped through her in terror, Isaac's own yells reaching her ears as she was dragged away into the darkness.**

* * *

><p><strong>"Mama! Papa!" she yelled through tears as strange men took her, getting her into a car. Just as they began to drive away, a young boy, no older than 13, bounded out of the house and ran after the speeding vehicle.<strong>

**"No!" he screamed in desperation, hitting the side of the machine. "Take me, not him! Lucas! Brother!"**

* * *

><p>She gasped as she jolted awake, squinting her eyes when the sunlight peaking through the curtains hit her. Feeling his body pressed behind her, she sighed contentedly, placing a hand over the arm he rested around her midsection, holding her back against him, his breath tickling the nape of her neck. Lifting his arm slightly, she turned to face him, smiling as she watched him fast asleep, hair disheveled and a slight twitch to his eyes, seemingly dreaming. Bringing a tentative hand to his face, she traced his cross tattoo softly. His nose scrunched up momentarily at the contact and he turned his body to lie on his back, his arm leaving her. Grinning deviously, she caressed his chest softly, wanting to see how much she could get away with while he slept.<p>

His muscles twitched for a moment under her and she paused briefly when he stirred slightly. As he stilled her hand began darting lower, stroking his abdomen softly, passing his navel and tickling over the light hairs that led to his crotch.

"Having fun?" his husky voice startled her, jumping back slightly and removing her hand.

"Shit, you scared me!" she stared into his half-lidded eyes, bringing an arm to cover her breasts as she sat up, the bed sheets covering her lower half.

"Why so modest?" he smirked, pulling at her arm around her chest but she held fast to it.

"Because there's such a thing called 'dignity'," she replied with a pout, making to pull the covers around her.

Snorting, he pulled quickly at the covers, pulling them aside and leaving them both exposed. "Please, as if I haven't seen the luscious meat under there," he sat up then, pulling her against him despite her playful protests and managed to sit her on his lap. "And besides, you're the one trying to rouse me for another go," he took her lower lip in both of his, sucking on it lightly. "Harassing me in my sleep."

Ghost couldn't help but laugh against his lips as he kissed her softly before she remembered why she had woken up. "I had a strange dream...or dreams for that matter," she spoke, his lips moving down to her shoulder.

He hummed against her skin and brought his head back up, looking into her eyes. "Strange, so did I...What did you dream about?"

Resting her head against his shoulder, she closed her eyes recalling the different dreams. "I couldn't control what I did in any of the dreams...It was as if I was seeing it from a first-person point of view..." she told him about Sarah, Isaac, and of the young boy. "The woman and the boy said your name, though...That's why I say it was strange."

He was silent for a few moments as he came upon a realization of what that meant.

"Luc?"

Her voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he searched her eyes, holding her gaze. "Those are memories of mine, Marion...You dreamt my memories."

Furrowing her brow, she sat up straighter, looking at him in confusion. "But how...?"

"Let me tell you what I dreamt and tell me what you think," he took a deep breath, remembering his dreams, which he had the distinct feeling weren't dreams at all. "They were also from a first-person perspective. First, I was screaming, watching a house burn in the distance. It was night and a man kept telling me to call down, even though his face was anything but calm...He called me Mari. Then I walked out of a small house hidden between a valley, and the same man walked to me, injured and later dying in my arms...Finally, I was in a small room, cowering in a corner, a fresh corpse across from me. I was scared, my hands were bloody and I held a knife in them...Are those memories of yours as well?"

Ghost gaped at him, unbelieving of hearing her own memories being described by Black Hat. Sure she had told him about some of the successes in her life, just as he had, but they had too much detail in them...they were too vivid and raw, just as her dreams of his memories had been. "Yes...They are my memories."

They were both silent then as they considered what that meant when a look of realization dawned upon Black Hat's face.

"What is it?" Ghost inquired, turning his face to have him look at her.

"We shared blood," he said, barely above a whisper, his arms tightening around her, still holding her across his lap. "We bonded...There's a possibility we shared memories as well, through our blood."

Her hand instinctively went to her neck, over where he had bitten her, and she gawked at him. "Do you think? Is it possible?..." she recalled Black Hat's dilated pupils from when he bit her while they made love and remembered the force she had felt when she did the same. "I mean I did feel _something_, I just can't explain it, it was almost-"

"Indescribable," he finished for her. "That's the only explanation I can think of..." he laid back onto the bed then, bringing her along to rest upon him. "Our bond must be strong then, if we were able to share memories."

She nodded in agreement, seeing no other possible explanation, and yet blushing at what that meant, at the thought of having made such a link with Black Hat...Sighing blissfully, she rested her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat while she closed her eyes.

"Hey, you wake me up with your harassment and you're going to leave me hanging?" he accused her playfully, grabbing her thigh and bringing it around his hips.

Opening her eyes, she propped herself up and quirked an eyebrow. "Oh sorry, I thought it might be too much for you to handle in one day," she brought a hand down to his navel, stroking downwards until she almost reached his manhood before pulling back teasingly.

His hand flew out, however, grabbing her hand to hold it against his navel. "Keep doing that and you'll actually rouse me for another go."

"I fail to see the problem in that statement," she giggled, her fingers tickling his skin, twitching underneath her touch before she climbed on top of him, holding him down by his chest.

"Evil temptress," he chuckled as his hands grabbed her hips, holding her steady against him as their lips met for a searing kiss.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yes, the chapter's title is from the song of the same name by Florence+the Machine (go listen to that woman, she rocks 3). Gah! The sex scene was a pain to write, I felt so awkward about it, I hope it came out right, you guys tell me what you think :x And yes, I am poking fun at Twilight at the beginning, I hope no one is offended, it was all in good fun ;) As always, thanks for the reviews and I encourage constructive criticism and ideas! Peace out!


	9. The Raid

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 9: The Raid<strong>

_June 7, 2223, 10 years after the end of the War _

It was well past midnight in the town of Bethany, only a few souls remained awake. James was one of these particular poor souls that took night shifts. He really didn't like having the night shift as security guard for the train cargo, but he was young and new to the work force so he took what he could. He was eternally thankful to the Almighty Lord that Bethany was a particular peaceful place. Wrongdoers were a rare occurrence around this town and even more so were Familiars. He was mostly thankful that Familiars in particular never wandered into their peaceful lands. Truth be told, the stories he heard about this bastards made his hairs stand on the end, specially considering he didn't understand how a human could willingly go to a vampire to get infected. He wished, though, that the other towns would enforce the law that stipulated that Familiars are illegal. But, as sheriffs often said, as long as they don't bother anyone they leave them alone. Yeah right, they knew better than anyone that Familiars often veered away from the reservations and did wrong upon innocent souls...

Footsteps startled him out of his thoughts, turning on his heel, rifle at the ready, only to see a young woman, no higher than 5'00" least, walking slowly beside the train he stood next to.

"Ma'am, you scared me," he breathed a sigh of relief and watched her in wonder. Well, he had to admit that she was quite pretty. Her wavy hair, tied down in a loose ponytail, was a dirty-blonde shade, her nose delicate with a slight curve to it at the tip, and lips drawn into a pout as she studied the train, her bottom lip a bit fuller than her upper lip. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but you're not supposed to be 'round here at this hour. I suggest you go home, I'll escort you if you want."

"My husband and I are interested in acquiring this train," she spoke, seeming as if she didn't hear him or just ignored what he had said. The short heels of her brown boots clicked against the floor as she slowly but surely walked closer to him. A taupe sleeveless coat with a Chinese collar worn over a white blouse adorned her torso, the sleeves of the blouse tucked into elbow-length fingerless black gloves. The coat was held closed around her chest by a black sash wrapped around her waist, the hem of the coat reaching her knees and black pants tucked into the boots.

He frowned then, realizing by her clothing how out of place she seemed to be and at the strange request she made. "I'm sorry, miss, but these trains here ain't for sale. You'll have to leave or I'll have to force you to leave."

"I would appreciate it if you didn't speak to my wife like that," James jumped at the grave voice, turning his back on the woman to point his rifle at a tall man standing behind him, dressed practically in all black. The man's face hidden by a black hat, he wore a dark leather trench coat over a black-buttoned shirt and vest, a scarf around his neck, black pants as well and boots hidden underneath them.

"Sir, you and your wife will need to leave," he warned them both, cocking his rifle and pointing it at the strange man's chest. "Now, sir!"

"I wouldn't turn my back on my dear wife if I were you," the man smirked, fangs peaking through. James frowned at the warning then, about to turn around when a gut-wrenching ache wrecked through him, feeling his tibia and fibula snapping forward with a sickening crunch as he fell to his knees in blistering pain. In less than a second, the strange man ripped the rifle from his hands as the woman grabbed his face from behind with crushing force, holding his jaw closed so he wouldn't scream out in pain, whimpering under her grip and feeling his eyes sting with tears from the nauseating pain.

"Normally I would enjoy the screams of pain while I kill you," she stared into James' eyes, yellow sickening eyes holding his own. "But not tonight, I can't have you screaming. I don't want the unnecessary attention," her fingers plunged into his mouth then, eyes widening in horror as he realized what she planned to do. He gagged, trying without success to get a scream out, anything, but to no avail. Sharp fingernails dug through his tongue, ripping it off as he gagged and coughed at her grip around his neck and her fingers in his mouth, grunting at the blinding pain when she finished ripping his tongue off. He tried to curl into himself to try and soothe the horrendous pain, but she held fast to his neck, tossing the torn tongue aside while he gagged out blood, feeling as though he may pass out.

"Don't play with your food, dear," the man with the black hat spoke, a devilish smirk on his face as he watched his wife and her handiwork.

Looking up at him, she scoffed before letting out a snarl and plunging her fangs into James' neck. He trembled violently underneath her as she sucked him dry of his blood and broke his neck when she finished to avoid him turning into a Familiar. Releasing the lifeless body, she stood up straight, starting to lick her fingers clean before Black Hat grabbed her hand, bringing it up to his mouth.

"Always so messy," he mused while he licked her fingers clean, bringing her thumb into his mouth and sucking it clean.

"There's a reason to it and you know it," Ghost teased, leaning up close as he proceeded to lick at and around her lips, cleaning her from the smudges of blood. "Don't act like you don't like that," she smirked, kissing him fully on the lips and sucking lightly on his bottom lip before releasing it.

"I never said I didn't," he retorted with a smug smile, taking her hand and placing it at his arm, leading her to enter the train they had chosen for their mission. "Call them."

Ghost pursed her lips together, whistling to call out the Familiars that had tagged along, said Familiars responding to her call and coming out of their hiding places, awaiting instructions. "Board the machine, relieve it of any cargo we don't need and get it ready to part...Now!" she barked out the order and they scurried to carry out the order. Meanwhile, Black Hat and herself entered a train car, seemingly one that served as a sort of lounge or living room of sorts. A low table was set at the center, two chairs at either side, and the walls adorned by old paintings depicting religious imagery of heaven and hell. Ghost released Black Hat's arm and went to sit at one of the chairs, propping her feet up on the low table and throwing her head back with a tired sigh. Ever since the Queen's messenger had arrived to indicate that the army was ready she hadn't slept for even a second, and it had been 2 weeks since that. They quickly responded, scurrying about to deliver a plan for entering the cities with a vampire army, and as of the moment it was all going smooth, though they still had to discuss the small matter of the Priests.

"Wouldn't you like to rest some place more comfortable?" Black Hat asked while he patted his thigh, having her look at him sitting across from her, feet propped up on the table as well. His tone was suggestive, but she could tell he was tired as well and could use a good shuteye if even for a day.

Shaking her head, a small smile on her face, she stood up, walking over to him and sitting across his lap, instantly allowing her head to rest against the crook of his neck, an arm wrapping around her waist while the other rested over her legs. "What will we do about the Priests?"

"About that," he removed his hat, placing it on the backrest's corner before letting his head fall back against the chair. "I was thinking about dragging out a particular Priest."

"Isaac?" she guessed, remembering the Priest's name from his memories and from what he had told her. "Wasn't he one of the best?"

"Yes, and that's one of the main reasons I want to lure him out of the cities," he explained. "The clergy won't be idle in allowing someone like Isaac to escape easily."

"They'll send other Priests to bring him back if he leaves," she deduced from his explanation.

"Exactly," he confirmed, closing his eyes.

"How will we drag him out though?" she inquired, brow furrowing as she dwelled on the thought.

"Easy," Black Hat began, confidence evident in his voice. "We'll kidnap his daughter."

Ghost lifted her head to look at him, a disbelieving expression on her face. "But...I thought Priests were celibate."

"They are," he opened his eyes to look at her. "But he was taken by the clergy when he was already a young adult. He had fathered a child with the woman he loved shortly before the Church found him."

"Bastards!" she hissed, disturbed at the bit of information. "How...How could he choose the Church over his own daughter?"

"Truly it was a great sacrifice. To him fighting for the war was his way of protecting his family," Black Hat explained, closing his eyes again as he reminisced on the past. "But his suffering was obvious, he was always so tortured."

Ghost was silent for a moment, letting her head fall back against his shoulder again as she considered his words. "He was your friend."

"Yes."

"You'll want him to join us?" she asked.

He was silent for a moment, taking a deep breath before he answered. "That would be ideal and beneficial to our mission."

"And if he doesn't join us?" she asked almost unconsciously, already seeing the familiarity to the situation.

"Then I'll have to make the same the decision you made with Thomas," he replied, offering no further explanation knowing she would understand. "The same principle will apply to any other Priest or Priestess that stands in our way."

Closing her eyes she nodded in understanding and remained silent for a moment. "Do you know where to find the girl?"

"I know the girl lives with her mother and uncle," he began explaining, recalling what Isaac had once told him. "Last I remember they lived in a small house in the town of Darius. We'll start there."

"Alright," she whispered.

It almost seemed surreal that the mission she had started as a human was now so close at hand. That after 4 years of being a human-vampire and staying hidden they had finally gotten to start the delivery of this task. They would clean the rotten world they lived in.

* * *

><p>Their growls were impatient, waiting to be released. Black Hat walked by them with Ghost at his side, heading towards the exit. A Familiar slid the door open, the vampires anxious to dart out but not doing so as they allowed their masters to walk forward. Stepping out into the desert just outside of Augustine, Black Hat and Ghost stared at the distance. The vampires quickly stepped out of the train compartment, remaining by their masters' side until they delivered the order. With a signal of Black Hat's hand the vampires began running in the direction the small farm was located, the ground trembling underneath them. It wasn't long before the small house came into view.<p>

Ghost gave Black Hat a sideways glance, a smirk on her face, the vampires thundering past them. He grinned widely at her, a devilish taint to his eyes, and chuckled when he heard the distinct cocking of a shotgun. "A useless waste of ammunition by all means."

"Still, there's no fun to it if they don't go down without a fight," Ghost mused wickedly just as the vampires fell upon the house, climbing on the roof, knocking down the door and crashing through the windows. Desperate screams tore through the air; a man screaming out his wife's name and said wife screaming in agony as the vampires tore her apart. "Ah yes, that is the melody I was waiting for."

Black Hat chuckled in response just as they arrived at the house's porch, the screams dying out and the vampires retreating, allowing their masters to walk through. Ghost stepped in through the doorway first, instantly being met by the body of a man lying face down on the floor and bleeding, shotgun forgotten by his side. He coughed and stirred just as she began walking around him and she turned, pressing her boot against the back of his neck, a groan of pain leaving his lips. She was about to press down harder when Black Hat grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the dying man.

"We need someone to relay the message, don't you think?" Black Hat replied in a low voice when she quirked a questioning eyebrow.

She simply nodded and turned her attention back to searching for the girl. The scent reached them then, that particular human scent, mixed in with a sweet citrus perfume. Ghost glanced sideways at Black Hat, a smirk mimicking her own as they stepped towards the dead body of the woman, the girl's mother. Their boots thumped through the wooden floor in the now silent house and stopped suddenly. Ghost grabbed the dead woman's ankle and pulled the body aside, revealing a handle to a secret door on the floor.

_'Bingo,'_ she thought triumphantly, leaning down and pulling the small door open.

A red-headed girl no older than 18 was sitting at the bottom of the stairs, her hands covering her mouth and whimpering, trembling even more as she was met by the strangers. Black Hat stepped forward, descending the stairs slowly as the girl released an ear splitting scream at the top of her lungs. She backed into the corner of the hidden basement, hands gripping the wooden wall for a nonexistent escape, body shaking with terror as she continued yelling, tears streaming down her face. Ghost simply watched from the upper floor as Black Hat approached the horrified girl and stopped before her.

"No need to be afraid," Black Hat gave the girl an evil grin. "We're not here to hurt you."

"No! Stay away!" she screamed and ran past Black Hat, turning briefly to see if he was following only to be met by Ghost at the top of the stairs, a yelp escaping her as she stopped before the dirty-blonde woman.

"I wouldn't advice running, darling," Ghost cooed, touching the girl's cheek and wiping away the tears, the poor girl frozen with fear. "You're coming with us after all, we're taking you on a nice ride."

"Please," the girl whimpered, jumping when Black Hat suddenly stepped behind her and nudged her to finish ascending the stairs. "Ah!" Ghost grabbed her wrist in an iron grip and pulled her along. "Let me go!" she yelled furiously, clawing at Ghost's hand as she continued pulling her while walking away. Her fighting faltered, however, when she saw the lifeless bodies of her mother and father, eyes wide with horror.

"Come on," Ghost pulled at her wrist but the girl remained frozen, shock overtaking her features. The girl shuddered then before her eyes suddenly went to the back of her head as she fainted. Ghost was quick to catch her before she hit the floor, cradling the lithe girl in her arms as if she were weightless. "Well, this is disappointing. I was hoping for more of a fight."

"I'll carry her," Black Hat was quick to offer but Ghost raised an eyebrow at him.

"What? Does it look like she weighs a ton?" Ghost scoffed, turning on her heel to walk out of the ruined house.

Black Hat let out a laugh as he reached up to Ghost, walking beside her as they made their way back to the train. "I was only being polite my dear."

* * *

><p>"There's an imbecile harassing her," Ghost announced, dropping the book she was reading when she picked up on the girl's distressed cries, staring at Black Hat sitting across from her.<p>

"I thought I told them to stay the hell away," Black Hat grunted, standing up from the chair he had been lounging on and putting on his hat. "Shall we?" he offered Ghost his arm, as was customary of him, and she walked over to him, taking his arm and going with him to the compartment where the girl was imprisoned.

Stepping quietly into the room, Ghost released her mate's arm as he sneaked behind the Familiar, one of hers nonetheless, and grabbed him by the shoulder, throwing him back. The Familiar landed next to her feet and his eyes widened when he looked up at his mistress.

"That's no way to treat a friend," Black Hat stated, looking back briefly at the fallen Familiar before he turned to pace around the girl's cell.

"Out," Ghost hissed at the Familiar by her feet, kicking his side as he cowered to his feet and scurried out of the room. Turning back her attention to Black Hat and the girl, she stepped closer, watching as the girl trembled and whimpered in fear.

"Please," the girl begged through her tears. "Let me go."

Ghost scoffed, shaking her head as Black Hat answered, "You're in here for you own protection." The girl followed his movements with each step he took. "If I let you out you'll be torn apart piece by piece," he continued stepping next to the cell without looking at the girl.

"And that's a fact, little darling," Ghost spoke right behind her, startling the girl and causing her to back away, looking at Ghost briefly with her wide brown eyes.

"Don't worry," Black Hat reassured the girl. "She won't bite."

"My uncle's a Priest," the girl declared, turning her attention back to Black Hat, though fear was evident in her trembling voice. "He'll come after me."

_'Uncle?'_ Ghost thought with confusion but said nothing.

"Really?" Black Hat inquired. "What makes you so sure?"

"He'll come after me," she repeated, as if with repetition she was convincing herself that it would be true. "He'll come after you," she warned, looking at Black Hat and turning briefly to look at Ghost, as if trying to reassure herself that he would come after both of her captors.

"Now that's something I'm absolutely-" Black Hat paused briefly as he turned to face the girl, staring at her with menacing yellow eyes and baring his fangs as he spoke. "Counting on."

The girl whimpered then, backing up against the cell still trembling with fear.

"Lucy, is it?" Ghost spoke then, causing the girl to jump again when she remembered that the woman was behind her. Stepping around the cell to stand next to Black Hat, she continued, "Now, don't worry too much, Lucy, we really won't hurt you. After all, you're no good to us dead," Ghost smirked then, watching as Lucy's face contorted at the last part.

"Now, now, Ghost, you're scaring our friend," Black Hat said with a smirk, bringing a hand to the small of Ghost's back. "Why don't we leave our friend to rest? It's still a long journey after all."

"Where are you taking me?" Lucy managed to ask through her fear as she watched her captors step around the cell.

"Ever been to the cities?" Ghost asked as they paused by the door.

Lucy didn't answer but her eyes widened slightly and her brow furrowed.

Black Hat scoffed, seeing in the girl's expression that she hadn't been inside the cities and was now wondering why they were headed there. "Don't worry too much, you'll understand...in time," he stated and with that left with Ghost, leaving Lucy alone in her dark prison.

* * *

><p>"What is it?" Hicks asked, approaching Priest whom was crouching down on the ground.<p>

"Vampire tracks are random. Sets of 2, 3, 4 prints at a time," Priest paused as he studied the peculiar pair of footprints he had found, the only pair that was unlike the rest. "But these are 2 by 2."

"Must be one of the Familiars," Hicks was quick to conclude.

"Vampires don't bring Familiars on the hunt, they slow them down," Priest corrected, standing back up and looking at the distance. "No, this...this was something else."

"What do you reckon this 'something else' is?" Hicks inquired as he studied the prints himself. One pair was slightly bigger than the other, and if he didn't know better the smaller one seemed to be from a woman. "They seem to me like prints from a man and possibly a woman...or a man with small feet."

Priest was silent for a moment. True, they seemed to be like nothing but normal human tracks, but that was exactly what threw him off. He really had no idea what they were dealing with here. Whatever it was they were facing, one thing was sure...they would pay dearly.

* * *

><p>"All of these offspring..." Ghost admired the train compartment full of sleeping vampires in their cocoons, leaning against the wall next to the door with her arms crossed. "The product of 4 years of waiting."<p>

Black Hat walked between the rows of cocoons, his hand brushing against the slimy membranes as he passed them. "The product that will help us cleanse this world from the Church and everything that binds it down. This is the reward of our patience."

Ghost smirked, reminiscing on how impatient she had been when she was a younger human-vampire, bursting with newfound power and anxious to use it right away to destroy the Church. She was about to comment when the door swung open, one of Black Hat's Familiars walking through, acknowledging her before he walked up to her mate.

"Man came aboard, says he has something for you," the Familiar said, Black Hat nodding and walking past him, extending his arm to Ghost.

"Looks like our salesman is paying us a visit," Ghost remarked as she took her lover's arm, walking with him towards the living room train compartment.

Stepping into the room, they walked towards the unoccupied chair, the salesman watching them carefully. Ghost allowed Black Hat to take the seat, insisting with her stare even. She opted to lean against said chair and bring an arm to rest over the back of it. Black Hat sat down, propping up a foot on the low table between the chairs and his hands gripping the armrests, hiding his face behind his hat while Ghost stared at the salesman with a cold leer. The salesman shifted his gaze briefly between them, settling for keeping his gaze on Black Hat when he stared a little too long at Ghost and said male human-vampire made a warning growl.

"You, umm," the salesman began, looking down at his hands then. "Told me to come if I had any information, but, uh, before I tell you -and I hate to bring this up- but there is this small matter of compensation," Ghost's gaze shifted sideways to Black Hat, feeling his impatience as his grip tightened on the armrests and he raised his gaze, staring dangerously at the foolish salesman. "Now you've been really good for business, so I am more than willing to cut you a deal."

_'Big mistake,'_ Ghost mused, already knowing that the man wasn't going to walk out with his _compensation_.

"I can smell the blood running through your veins," Black Hat warned, not even acknowledging what the salesman had said, the man's confident smile faltering as he heard this. "Smells like...dinner."

The salesman gulped loudly and nodded. "Okay...Alright..." Black Hat's grip relaxed then and he hid his gaze behind his hat again, but Ghost knew that didn't mean anything positive for the salesman. "Now, after you snatched the girl, couple of nights later a Priest showed up," Ghost looked up at that, shifting her gaze to Black Hat.

"Priest?" Black Hat repeated and the man nodded.

"And he was with this sheriff, real hard case. Run me out of town before I could make a single sale," the salesman complained, seemingly looking for some sympathy in Black Hat.

"Hm. You've done well," Black Hat acknowledged him, but Ghost could recognize the underlying dangerous tone in his voice...and he must have been _thirsty_ by now.

"Thank you," the salesman sighed in relief.

Ghost smirked deviously, confusing the salesman before Black Hat suddenly lunged in a blur towards the man, biting his neck and quickly drinking his blood. The salesman choked and gasped as the infection began taking its course, transforming him into a Familiar. Black Hat dropped him when he had his fill, extending his hand out to Ghost and she took it.

"There's your compensation," Black Hat declared as he stepped over his convulsing body, leading Ghost around it as well. "Put him to work," he ordered the smirking Familiar and left with Ghost.

"You called it," Ghost commented once they were alone again, walking between the cocoons of vampires.

"A father's love is strong," Black Hat replied. "We should expect other Priests to pay us a visit tonight at Jericho."

"That should be interesting, we haven't had a challenge in a while," Ghost smirked, bringing an arm around Black Hat's lower back.

Black Hat spun her around then, crashing her against his body before dipping down for an eager kiss. She responded quickly, her hands sneaking into his coat to run them up and down his back as his own hands explored her clothed body, one hand grabbing a hold of one her breasts and stroking it through the clothing. Moaning against his mouth, she let a hand wander down his back, grabbing a hold of his ass and causing him to buck against her. She felt his sly laughter in his chest as his tongue darted into her mouth, tangling with hers in a battle for domination. Suddenly, he parted from her mouth, darting down to lick at her neck as he picked her up in his arms bridal style, cradling her against his chest.

"I would pose no protest to continue this," Black Hat paused to look at her yellow eyes. "But I have to make sure we're ready for tonight's attack...And besides..." he kissed her cheek and spoke against her ear. "This train is too crowded, I wouldn't want anyone hearing the beautiful sounds you make when I have you _come_ undone."

She shuddered at his comment, wishing as well she could just take him right there but managing to keep her composure. "I agree..." she whispered and then brought a hand to his face, having him look at her before she retaliated with a remark of her own. "Though, you say that as if I don't have an effect on you as well when I _ride_ you," she smirked when he groaned at her comment, nudging her nose with his own.

"Don't make this harder than it already is," Black Hat remarked and Ghost couldn't help but chuckle at the unintended double-entendre as he placed her back down to her feet. "Now, it's your turn to watch the girl."

"Fuck," she cursed, a pout forming on her lips. "Fine, don't expect me to be a sugar queen to her though."

Black Hat chuckled and grinned, bringing a hand to caress her cheek. "When have I ever expected that?"

* * *

><p><em>'Don't come back without succeeding.'<em>

The thought wouldn't leave her alone. It nagged her even when she slept and above all it bothered her. The Queen had been particularly pleasant towards her this time around, but there was something that bothered her about that treatment. For some reason she had felt threatened. It seemed to her as if the Queen really didn't trust her yet. And the threat she had given to both of them made it seem like she might actually do something drastic if they failed. But they wouldn't fail...no, they were too strong. Either way, Ghost was determined to protect Black Hat, even if it meant protecting him from the Queen if the circumstances required it.

"Can I..." Lucy's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up from where she was sitting, pausing her picking at the dirt under her claws with a knife. "Can I ask you something?"

"I don't know if you can, but you may," was Ghost's reply before she resumed her nail picking.

"What's your name?" Lucy's voice trembled. Sure she was one of her captors, but she had the dying urge to just talk with someone. Not to say that she may obtain information this way.

Ghost was silent for a moment before answering. "Ghost."

"That's a, umm-"

"It's my alias," Ghost shook her head. "But still it's the name I prefer."

"What's your real name?" Lucy dared asked, pushing the woman to talk.

"None of your business," Ghost didn't even look up as she concentrated on her claws.

"What about your...umm...is the man your husband?" Lucy walked close to the wall of the cell, staring intently at Ghost.

Ghost looked up with a quirked eyebrow, catching the girl's stare and startling her. "You could say that."

"What's his name?" Lucy asked. She didn't know why she was asking anymore, it wasn't like their names were giving her any valuable information.

"Black Hat," Ghost declared, her stare going back down as she now played idly with the knife. "So," it was now Ghost's turn. "Your uncle's a Priest...is he?"

Lucy gulped and nodded nervously. "Y-yes...he was the best warrior in the war and a great leader."

Ghost chuckled, grinning widely and catching the girl's stare. "He's told you that? That's so confident of him."

Lucy looked down then, her brow furrowing and shook her head. "No...I've never met him. My father told me about him." She knew that all she was holding on to now was just her faith and hope on an uncle she's never met. For all she knew she wasn't going to be saved by anyone.

"Oh dear," Ghost looked at her watch, seeing that it was almost dusk and stood up, walking to the girl's cell and leaning against it. "Well, I have good news for you...but maybe not such good news for your uncle," she said the last part with mock worry, the girl lacing her fingers through the prison's bars. "A little birdie told us that a Priest and a sheriff are following our tracks. It's going to be a while until they catch up though."

The girl's face lit up then, her brown eyes wide with hope. "Uncle...And Hicks? They're coming for me...They really are..." Lucy sighed in relief but looked up at the now chuckling woman.

"That they are," Ghost remarked as she started heading for the door. "Which only means that everything is going according to plan."

"W-w-wait!" Lucy stuttered and Ghost stopped by the door. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, you'll know soon enough, darling," Ghost grinned deviously, fangs bared and menacing. "But for now I must leave you...Our _friends_ are hungry."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Well, here we are, the story has finally caught up with the movie timeline ;) I'm not going to drag this timeline for many chapters, since we all know what happened in the movie. I'm just going to tell it mostly from Ghost and Black Hat's perspective, and with a bit of added dialogue as you may have noticed. Thanks to my lovely readers for following this story and thanks for the reviews. As always, I encourage constructive criticism and ideas! Peace out!


	10. Flames of Chaos

****Disclaimer:** **I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 10: Flames of Chaos<strong>

Fire rose up into the night sky, another explosion rumbling the town. Men, women, and children ran on the streets, confused, screaming, and trying to escape their attackers who seemed to be coming from everywhere. Vampires and Familiars alike tore apart the town, the vampires feeding eagerly on the terrorized humans running rampant. Amongst the chaos, two figures walked calmly in the middle of the road, admiring the destruction.

**"Papa! Look!"**

The memories came back to Ghost as she recognized the familiar streets from her childhood, the smallest of smiles grazing her features.

**"Marion!" a blond man ran after the dirty-blonde girl, who had escaped from his side and was doing cartwheels right in the middle of the dirt road. He picked her up, the girl giggling as her father carried her. "I told you to stay by my side you crazy kid."**

**"But papa! Didn't you see what I learned?" the 7 year-old pouted, crossing her arms in a comical manner as her father set her down next to her brother, whom was holding his laughter.**

**"What's so funny?" the blond man inquired his son.**

**"I taught Marion how to do that," the boy answered, grinning innocently as he shrugged when his father leered at him. "She's like a puppy dad! She learns everything you tell her!"**

Ghost laughed quietly to herself, the nostalgia bringing her both happiness and melancholy at the same time. And now here she was back in her childhood town, the place where she grew up, bringing it down to the ground, burning away the dead and forgotten memories. She was distracted from her reminiscing when she realized she had fallen slightly behind Black Hat. Raising an amused eyebrow, she hurried her pace to catch up with him, watching him flail his arms like a music director as if he were conducting an orchestra of chaos.

She was about to make a witty remark when she reached him, but they both turned to the sound of roaring bikes. Ghost glanced sideways at Black Hat, a smirk on his face before they both turned to the three Priests who stepped forward weapons at the ready.

Black Hat grinned then and brought his hand forward, taunting the Priests to attack. The bald Priest stepped forward, flaunting his chakrams and moving forward quickly to attack, delivering a series of complex and quick moves as he approached Black Hat, who wasn't even flinching. Just as the Priest reached Black Hat, the human-vampire's fist darted out in a blur, throwing the Priest through the air, landing on his back. The injured Priest sat up; his face contorted in pain before he brought a hand to the bleeding hole in his chest and fell limp to the ground, dead.

Ghost chuckled lightly at the other two Priests astonished and disturbed faces as they watched Black Hat keeping his arm extended to present the ripped out heart from their deceased Priest brother.

"Brothers," Black Hat spoke diverting their attention from the dead Priest. "You have a choice. You can follow in my footsteps," he paused briefly and pointed with a nod of his head towards the body on the ground. "Or you can follow in his."

The Priests did nothing for a moment, as they seemed to consider, not the options, but how it was possible that one of them could be taken down so easily. Ghost took the opportunity to lean in close to Black Hat from behind, peaking over his shoulder at the Priests.

"Can I have one?" she asked softly as if she were a child asking for a toy.

"Be my guest," Black Hat replied, turning his gaze briefly to hers before turning to face the Priests whom were approaching, their decision to fight already made. Ghost stepped around Black Hat, choosing the younger looking Priest. Black Hat took on the other one head on, dodging the Priest's glaive slashes. Ghost smirked briefly, seeing that Black Hat was stalling for fun but he really wasn't breaking a sweat. Turning her attention back to her target, she ducked just in time to avoid a horizontal slash from the Priest's dual daggers.

Both fights were mostly one-sided, the Priest's side being doomed from the start with the human-vampires having the obvious upper hand. Ghost seemed to be doing a lazy gymnastics routine, using her speed and flexibility to avoid the Priest's blades. Black Hat, on the other hand, moved in firm steps as he dodged his opponent's moves, retaliating with quick punches and kicks.

"This has been fun," Ghost commented, moving around her opponent until she was at his back. "But we best get things rolling along."

The Priest grunted and slashed around with his daggers, doing a 180-degree turn. Ghost reacted instantly, bending back and doing a bridge, following the move by flipping back to her feet, kicking the Priest's weapons from his hands, sending them flying into the air. Darting her hand out when she got to her feet, she took the Priest's momentary stun to slash open his throat with her claws. The Priest's eyes widened in shock, his hands darting to grab at his quickly bleeding wound, choking out blood before falling to his knees and dropping fully on the ground as he bled out.

Ghost turned in time to see Black Hat lifting his opponent by the neck; the man flailing wildly and grabbing desperately at Black Hat's arm as the human-vampire slowly crushed the Priest's windpipe. A moment later, the body went limp under Black Hat's grip, finally killing the Priest. Throwing the body aside he turned to Ghost, a devious smirk on his face.

"You want to see how we can upset the girl's rescuers?" Black Hat asked Ghost.

"Yeah. What do you have mind?" Ghost inquired, raising an amused eyebrow.

"Let's crucify the Priests' bodies," Black Hat replied, a twisted dark look in his yellow eyes. "It should send out a clear message to the girl's rescuers."

* * *

><p>Lucy was dozing off, trying to fight with the weakness that struck her. She hadn't eaten in days and she was beginning to feel the effects of hunger. It didn't help that she had been wasting energy trying to devise a way to escape to no avail. She would give anything in the world right now to back in her home...With a sob she held back the thoughts; the more she thought about her destroyed home and her dead parents the more she cried. She'd cried so much that tears no longer came to her eyes; only dry desperate sobs. In fact, she even got to the point of blaming herself for everything that had happened, thinking that it was punishment for not obeying her father's wishes.<p>

"Daddy..." she whimpered, hugging her knees close and hiding her face. "I'm so sorry...God, please, forgive me...Look after their souls, please," she prayed, her hands pressed tightly together as she repeated her repentance before she jumped back when the compartment door was swung open. She saw Ghost stride in, a deadpan look on her fierce face as she walked towards the cell, keys in hand.

Without a word, Ghost unlocked the prison cell, swung the gate open and grabbed Lucy by her upper arm, pulling her up to her feet. Lucy would have protested, kicked, scratched, and kicked at the dirty-blonde woman, but truth be told she was truly weak, and just being pulled to her feet so fast made her swoon with dizziness for a moment.

"Where are you taking me?" Lucy managed to ask as Ghost dragged her out of her cell, keeping her walking beside her with her grip around her arm.

"You need to eat," Ghost deadpanned as she walked Lucy through the hallways.

Lucy's mouth watered at the thought, but she opted to protest, not liking the idea of being fed by these monsters. Just the thought of a Familiar having cooked her food made her gag. "I'm not eating anything! Let me go!" Lucy pulled at her arm then, only to wince in pain when Ghost gripped her harder and twisted it.

"Shut up! Don't be such a stupid brat, be thankful that we're even going to feed you," Ghost snarled, a look of disgust in her features. "Besides, if your concern is about who cooked the food then you shouldn't worry, I made it myself, not the Familiars."

Lucy was silent for a moment, the only sound being the clicks of their boots as they walked. She looked down at Ghost's hand then, trying to see if the woman's nails were clean. The fierce woman seemed to quickly notice what she was doing, because she suddenly stopped, bringing her other hand in front of Lucy's face, showing off her clawed nails.

"Here, see. They're clean," Ghost brought her nails closer to the girl's face, showing her the space under her nails. "Don't let the color throw you off, it's not sickness they're just like that," she added, referring to her claws particular darker color, similar to Black Hat's, and set off walking again, pulling Lucy along. "Now whether or not you like my cooking I don't give a shit, as long as you don't faint on us from hunger."

Lucy found no protest, seeing that the woman understood her concern and showed her the proof, not having seen dirt or grime in those strange fingernails. Fear found its way to her face then when they entered a car filled with vampire cocoons.

"Come on, they won't wake up," Ghost ordered her, pulling at her arm when she held back in terror. With a sigh and a roll of her eyes she added, "They won't hurt you while I'm here, stupid girl."

"How? Vampires can't be controlled, how can you control them?" Lucy demanded desperately, trying to free herself from Ghost's grip.

"Stop asking questions and do as I say!" Ghost pulled her roughly and walked them between the cocoons, avoiding contact with them for the girl's sake as she held her close to her. "Think about it, will it make sense to kill a hostage?"

Lucy remained silent, mostly due to her fear of the creatures that slumbered. But she figured that the woman was right, if they wanted her dead she still wouldn't be around. It made her wonder though, what were these people? How could they control the vampires?

Finally making it out of the train car with the vampires, they went through an empty compartment before arriving at a dining room, a round table set in the middle with two chairs and a lone couch against a wall. Food was already set upon the table.

Black Hat turned when the two women entered the room, a smirk on his face when he saw Lucy's slightly trembling face. Ghost walked her to a chair, pulling it out and having her sit. With an exasperated sigh, she circled the table as Black Hat walked behind Lucy.

"You must be starving, you haven't eaten in days," Black Hat said, voice deep. Stopping by Lucy's side, he leaned close to her, resting a hand on the table and the other on the chair's backrest. "Have you ever had real roast duck?" He moved his hand from behind the chair to tuck a strand of stray hair behind Lucy's ear. Ghost stopped pacing then, settling for leaning against the chair that was free. She could tell that Black Hat was trying to unsettle the girl. "It's very rare, very...exotic," Black Hat's eyes shifted, studying the girl's face carefully. Even though she knew that he did it to frighten the girl, Ghost couldn't help the primal possessiveness that welled up briefly when she saw his actions, a small growl building in her chest for the briefest of moments. Black Hat seemed to pick it up because he glanced sideways at her for a moment, an amused smirk on his face.

"Of course not," Lucy quietly answered quietly, her face set forward, not daring to look at him. If Black Hat wanted to unnerve the girl with his actions he had successfully done so.

"Try it. You'll never have better," Black Hat urged before standing up straight again, leaving the girl's side to serve her some wine.

Ghost looked at the girl with a blank stare, catching her gaze for the briefest of moments before the girl turned to look at Black Hat, seemingly summing up the courage to speak to him directly.

"What do you want?" Lucy asked, looking at him accusingly.

"I want the same things that you want." Black Hat began serving the wine, his gaze set on what he was doing. "I want to be free from a life of suffering and sacrifice. To no longer be told that your every desire-" he glanced briefly at Ghost, whom didn't catch it since she was looking at Lucy. "-is a sin. And after all," he paused briefly as he pushed the glass of wine towards Lucy. "If you're not committing sin, you're not having fun," he smirked widely, baring his fangs at the girl.

Pushing himself off of the table, he turned his back on the girl, walking towards the mirror and Ghost following him with her gaze.

Lucy took the brief opportunity, seeing that her captors weren't looking at her, and sneaked the knife that was set on the table onto her lap, keeping it hidden from view.

"What are you two?" Lucy asked, her brow furrowing together in wonder and confusion.

Ghost turned at the girl's question, giving her a brief, cold stare before walking over to the couch against the wall and sitting down, throwing her arms over the back of the divan.

Black Hat paused as he considered his answer, taking off his hat as he inspected himself in the mirror. "Church teaches us that the eyes are the windows to the soul," he walked towards the free chair. "And that since vampires evolved without eyes, it is a soulless creature to be-" he sat down and caught the girl's gaze. "-eradicated. And I have seen the soul of the vampire and let me tell you, it is far more pure than that of any man," he glanced at Ghost when he said this, this time his mate catching his gaze, her brow furrowing for the briefest of moments as well as Lucy, neither woman understanding why he looked at her when he said this. "Now you ask what we are," Black Hat continued, gesturing at Lucy with his hand as he did so, a dark look grazing his features. "We are the bringers of the tide. We are the waves that'll wash clean this unclean world. And you and your," he paused as he pointed at her with a clawed finger. "Priest, will help us do it."

Lucy frowned, not understanding how he expected her and her uncle to help them. How could they? _Why_ would they? They kidnapped her for God's sake! She glanced between her two captors, still wondering what they were, a faint idea surfacing as she made the connection with the fangs they both bore. But what really threw her off was the cross tattoo on the man's face. Was he a Priest? Well, if he was she figured he had broken his vows.

"You...you didn't tell me _what_ you are," Lucy dared say, looking at both of her captors for an answer.

Growing exasperated and rolling her eyes, Ghost cleared her throat, catching Black Hat's gaze and asking him with her eyes _'May I?'_ He nodded and with that she turned her gaze to the girl. "Human-vampires. Now shut up and eat."

"What?" Lucy breathed out in disbelief, her features contorting with confusion. "How is that -is that even possible?"

"Care for some proof," Black Hat said in a low voice, his tone dark as he bared his fangs at Lucy, whom shuddered back against her chair and shook her head.

"Now eat," Ghost insisted. "I didn't go through all that trouble just so you could play 20 questions and not touch your food."

"I suggest you follow her advice," Black Hat remarked with a smirk, glancing at the impatient Ghost. "I said before that she doesn't bite, but today she is in a biting mood."

Lucy gulped loudly, glancing briefly at the scowling Ghost before taking the fork and beginning to go through her food. Taking a piece from the roasted duck, she brought it slowly to her mouth, feeling self-conscious that the two human-vampires were staring at her. Finally tasting the rare food, she was surprised that she actually loved the taste of it and couldn't help but continue eating the food in the plate before her. In her starvation, she ignored that her captors were watching as she ate. Although her face was distraught, she was actually enjoying what she was eating, and she didn't know if it was because it was actually good or because she was just hungry and didn't care.

Finally finishing her plate, she took the wine Black Hat had served her and sipped it carefully, deciding against drinking all of it. Not knowing what else to do, she lowered her head, avoiding their gazes.

"Well, someone enjoyed her meal," Black Hat chuckled and gave Ghost a pointed look. Taking the hint, Ghost stood up, opened the door and whistled. "Now that you won't be fainting on us, you just stand pretty and wait, we should be arriving at the cities in a couple of days time," Black Hat announced just as a Familiar stepped into the room.

"Take her back to her cell," Ghost ordered her Familiar, whom nodded and grabbed Lucy by the arm, pulling her up to her feet.

"You won't make it," Lucy tried desperately to sound brave as the Familiar began pulling her away. "My uncle will stop you both. We won't help you!"

Black Hat chuckled darkly, stood up and walked towards her; stopping before her he brought a hand under her chin. "I suggest you reconsider your position. The last people who opposed us, well, let's say they're not with us anymore."

Lucy's eyes widened slightly, shuddering at his dark tone. Before she knew it she was being dragged away by the Familiar. "No!" she screamed, a final desperate attempt of resistance. "We won't help you! He'll kill you both!" And with that she was taken away, Ghost slamming the door closed behind them.

"The girl's got fight in her," Black Hat remarked, approaching Ghost and bringing an arm around her waist.

Ghost turned in his arms, bringing her hands to his rugged face, caressing his scruffy jaw. "What will you do with her if her father doesn't join us?"

Black Hat scoffed and dipped in for a kiss. "Get rid of her, of course."

* * *

><p>They were nearing the cities fast, almost there in fact. Black Hat decided to look for Ghost, whom had decided earlier to take a short nap. He opened the door to the dining room train car and held his breath for a moment.<p>

There she lay on the couch, an arm over her head and the other across her abdomen, head lopsided and her dirty-blonde waves loose around her. Taking off his hat and placing it on the dining table, he silently approached her, hovering over her as he admired her beauty in her sleep. She looked so peaceful and tranquil, he thought, smiling at the irony that it made her look so innocent, something she truly wasn't. And yet, despite knowing this perfectly well, he would be damned if he let someone hurt her or even kill her. Which brought back the thought of what the Queen had told them before they left for the mission.

_'Don't come back without succeeding.'_

It bothered him that the warning was mostly directed at Ghost. He didn't know why, but he had the slight suspicion that the Queen would let the blame fall fully on Ghost if they failed, figuring it was because she wasn't the first to be transformed into a human-vampire. But he also figured it was partly due to the fact that Ghost had initially, when she was a younger human-vampire, been very questioning towards the Queen. He thought that, perhaps, the Queen saw her as a possible threat.

_'There's no reason to worry, though,'_ Black Hat thought, tucking a stray strand of hair behind Ghost's ear. _'We won't fail. We won't.'_

He leaned down then, pressing his lips softly against Ghost's. After a fleeting moment, he was about to pull back but his lower lip was suddenly caught between Ghost's teeth. He chuckled; opening his eyes to look into her playful ones and allowed his lips to stay over hers. She caught his face between her hands as she kissed him softly. Sitting at the edge of the couch, he brought a hand to her hip, pulling her closer to him. Smiling against his lips, she pulled back, pressing a finger to his lips.

"I was having such a nice dream," Ghost mused as Black Hat drew her finger into his mouth, nibbling on it lightly.

"What was it about?" he nuzzled her neck, taking in her scent.

"It had to do with a certain handsome man," she said in a suggestive voice as he raised his head back up to study her expression. "And that certain man might have been quite naked in my dream."

"Oh?" he raised an amused eyebrow, leaning down to press a kiss along her jaw. "And what was that man doing?"

"He was between my legs," she whispered, a mischievous tone to her voice. "I was naked as well...He went down on me, kissed me lovingly along my abdomen until he reached-" she was suddenly cut off by a knock on the door, throwing her head back in annoyance and gritting her teeth. With a heavy sigh he turned his head away from her.

"What?" Black Hat growled, sitting up and scowling at the door.

"We have company," a Familiar spoke up from the other side of the door.

"We'll be right out," Black Hat answered, standing up and Ghost following suit, pulling her hair back into a ponytail. "Looks like our visitors finally caught up."

"No shit," Ghost retorted as they walked towards the door, opening and stepping into the next room, two Familiars waiting for orders. "How many people are following us?"

"Three, they're on bikes approaching fast," a Familiar was quick to answer.

"Get your bikes and weapons ready, follow whomever doesn't board the train," Black Hat ordered the Familiars, who quickly left their masters to do their bidding. "Isaac and the sheriff are likely to board the train. I'll go to the roof and face Isaac, you stay and take care of our friend the sheriff, make sure he doesn't get to the girl," Black Hat told Ghost, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"What about the other biker?" Ghost inquired, her brow furrowed.

"If he or she boards the train dispose of them as well," Black Hat replied instantly. "If they don't, just let the Familiars do what I told them to. I just need you to stay here in the train."

Ghost nodded then, a slight worry drawing upon her features as she realized that Black Hat was going to face an old friend, a man he once considered a brother. "Please...Don't hesitate," she touched his cheek caringly, holding his gaze.

"I won't," he instantly understood what she meant, referring to her fight with Thomas 3 years ago and how it was a similar situation to what he was about to face.

"Good luck then," she said and reached up, kissing his lips fully, to which he gladly replied. Pulling back, he gave her a final glance before turning around and leaving for the living room train car, where there was an exit through the roof.

Turning on her heel, Ghost walked the opposite way, going towards where they kept their bikes. The Familiars were already prepared and looked to her when she walked into the room.

"You, with me," she signaled to a Familiar that was about to get on his bike, instantly stopping his actions and walking to his master's side. Ghost pulled open the side-door of the compartment and looked out, her eyes squinting as the wind hit her eyes. A bike was approaching along the side of the train, fast, and the person riding it seemed to have no intention of boarding the train. Turning back to the Familiars, she yelled out the order, "Show no mercy! Go!"

They revved up their bikes and just as the biker outside passed them they set out of the speeding train. Once the last Familiar was out, she glanced briefly to watch them following the biker and closed the door.

"Come on," she ordered the Familiar, walking past him as he followed close behind her.

Stepping into the prison room, Lucy yelped when Ghost suddenly flung the door open.

"W-what's going on?" Lucy asked with a trembling voice.

"Shut up," Ghost snapped and opened the prison cell, grabbing the girl by the upper arm and pulling her to her feet. Lucy jumped when the metal of the roof clunked loudly, a dent forming on it. Ghost looked up at that and realized that Black Hat and Isaac were fighting.

_'A foolish decision Priest,'_ Ghost thought in disappointment.

"What's that?" Lucy asked as fast paced footsteps sounded on the roof.

"I thought I told you to shut up," Ghost snarled at the girl, baring her fangs before she handed the girl to the Familiar. "Here, hold her and don't let her get away. Let's go."

The Familiar, pulling Lucy along, followed Ghost out of the prison room, stepping into one of the rooms with the vampire cocoons. Footsteps suddenly came from the room behind them when they almost made it out of the cocoon room. "Move!" Ghost ordered the Familiar, pushing both he and Lucy in front of her into the next room, closing the door behind her but not locking it.

"Let's see who's here to save you," Ghost gave the girl a dangerous smirk, the girl's face lightning up with hope.

"They're here...They're here for me! Let me go-Hmph!" Lucy began fighting but was quickly cut off by Ghost, who grabbed her cheeks between her hand, gripping her face tightly and painfully.

"You stay put and behave, I don't want to listen to your rambling any longer," Ghost threatened the terrified girl and then snapped her head back when characteristic growls and snarls reached her ears. Turning back to Lucy with a smirk she said, "Looks like whomever is in there woke up the monsters," she released Lucy's face then and turned to stare at the door, waiting to see if someone would walk out.

A moment later, Ghost saw a young man open the door and turn around instantly to slam it close, ramming a dagger through the door's lock to keep it closed. Before he noticed, she jumped to the roof quietly, holding on to the wooden beams with her claws.

"Hicks!" Lucy yelled and the man, Hicks, turned around, looking at Lucy before aiming his gun at the Familiar who held her back. "Above you!"

Hicks turned his gaze upward a moment too late as Ghost landed behind him. Turning around quickly, he aimed and shot, but Ghost managed to grab the gun and divert it upwards, shooting three holes in the roof as he kept the trigger pressed. The man was momentarily stunned by the woman's inhuman speed, which Ghost took as an opportunity to punch him square in the face, sending him flying backwards and crashing into the floor.

"No! Leave him alone!" Lucy screamed desperately as she tried to escape from the Familiar's grip.

Ghost grabbed the stunned sheriff by the collar, pulling him up to his feet. "You're not challenging for me," she remarked, slamming him against the wall roughly, Lucy continuing her screaming.

"Lucy!" Hicks managed to huff out, his breath beaten out of his lungs.

"Away with you, sheriff," Ghost said before she kicked him hard in the gut, breaking through the wooden wall and sending him flying out of the train to his doom. "Good riddance."

"No! Hicks!" Lucy screamed and wailed as she cried for the fallen sheriff.

Ghost was about to tell the girl to shut up when a hand broke through the wooden floor.

"Get her out of here!" Ghost ordered the Familiar. Then, a man pulled himself between the wooden boards, his eyes widening as he saw the Familiar drag a screaming Lucy away. It was the Priest, Isaac. Ghost instantly slammed and locked the door behind her before he could fully drag his body into the compartment.

_'What happened up there?'_ she wondered to herself as she ran after the Familiar and Lucy, stopping once they reached the living room compartment. _'Did Lucas fail?'_

The Familiar held Lucy back as they stood at the end of the room. Ghost remained standing before them, knowing the Priest would fight his way up to them. Moments later, the Priest stepped into the room in a defensive stance, ready to fight the dirty-blonde haired woman. He was about to attack Ghost when Black Hat suddenly dropped through the hole in the roof and punched the Priest in the face, sending him crashing to the floor. Ghost stepped back allowing Black Hat to deal with Isaac. It was the least she could do, considering Black Hat had allowed her to take care of Thomas those years ago.

Black Hat grabbed the fallen Priest by the legs and slammed him against the wall. Lucy screamed desperately, begging Black Hat to stop hurting her uncle. Before the Priest could recover, Black Hat grabbed him once again, this time flipping him over the air and crashing him onto a table. Priest groaned in pain, rolling to his back and watching as Black Hat slowly approached him with a predatory stride.

Both Black Hat and Ghost were already ignoring Lucy's pleas and screams, their attention set on the Priest. So when Lucy elbowed the Familiar, whom released her at the impact, the human-vampires turned to her a moment too late as the girl crashed a kerosene lamp on the Familiar, setting him on fire.

"Lucy, no!" Priest yelled, Black Hat turning to him briefly before looking back to see the girl pulling out a hidden knife from her dress sleeve. Lucy set out to attack Black Hat, but Ghost intercepted her, dodging her slashes.

"Good," Black Hat remarked, observing the girl attacking Ghost, who effortlessly dodged the moves. "You're fast," Ghost caught the knife in her hand when Lucy aimed to stab her face, slicing her hand open but holding fast to it, staring down its length at the gutsy girl. "Just like your father," Black Hat finished his statement and Ghost saw as the girl's expression changed from an angry one to one of shock, glancing behind Ghost and Black Hat at her father on the floor.

Black Hat glanced towards Isaac in amusement before he returned his gaze to Lucy, staring at her over Ghost's head. "He never told you," Black Hat concluded and Lucy grunted, pushing the knife towards Ghost's face, wanting already to attack Black Hat. Ghost, however, used Lucy's momentum against her, pulling the knife from her hands and backslapping her, sending her crashing to the floor.

"No!" Priest screamed and jumped back to his feet, lunging at Black Hat with his fist.

Black Hat was faster, however, turning just in time to grab Priest, midair, by the throat before he managed to reach him, slamming him against the wall. Black Hat held his hand out and Ghost got the message, placing the knife over his open palm. Instantly, he took the knife and stabbed through Priest's shoulder, digging deep through the skin and muscle until he had him pinned to the wall.

"Aaaaah!" Priest screamed in pain, his mouth agape and eyes wide, staring into Black Hat's furious yellow eyes. "God!"

Ghost could tell this wasn't easy for Black Hat to do, his expression was angry but there was also some distress in it, obviously the decision to kill his former friend weighing down on him. Black Hat released the knife's hilt once Priest passed out and walked towards Lucy, pulling her to her feet. Taking the other kerosene lamp, he crashed it on the floor before Priest, the walls already aflame.

"Burn," Black Hat hissed, looking at Ghost and gesturing upwards with his head before he took the scared Lucy in his arms and leaped with her through the exit in the roof.

Ghost glanced at the Priest and sighed. "You made the wrong choice," she stated before jumping through the exit as well, landing atop of the roof.

Seeing Ghost safely on the roof, Black Hat turned to walk towards the front of the train, dragging a protesting Lucy along.

"Move!" Ghost barked, pushing Lucy when the girl held back from Black Hat's grip.

Once the cities came into view, Black Hat stopped his stride and pulled Lucy into his arms. Ghost watched as he searched the girl's eyes to hypnotize her, but that was left forgotten as she opted to look at the cities in the approaching horizon. Stepping around Black Hat and Lucy, she gaped, disbelieving that her victory was at hand.

_'Finally,'_ Ghost thought triumphantly, reveling in the feeling of imminent success. _'After so many years I will finally make your dream come true, father.'_

Suddenly, she was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the characteristic sound of a blade meeting muscle, Black Hat's groan of pain following suit. She turned in an instant, seeing as Lucy fell off the train and the Priest promptly caught her, hanging with one arm by the side of the train. As this happened, she was at Black Hat's side in less than a second, as he gagged and his hand hovered over the cross dagger lodged on the side of his neck.

With a growl, Ghost drew his hand away and pulled the blade from his neck, blood squirting instantly from his mouth and the wound. His expression was furious and she dared not say a word as he yanked the blade from her hand, approached the Priest and stepped on his fingers, crushing them. Priest let out a scream of pain but held fast to Lucy as he glanced upwards at the enraged Black Hat.

"Your faith has failed you!" Black Hat spat through gritted teeth, his voice stifled by the blood spilling from his mouth and the wound on his neck. Bringing his hand up with the Priest's cross dagger, he was about to attack Priest with it when Priest turned his attention in surprise to the front of the train. Black Hat and Ghost followed his gaze and disbelief found its way to their expressions quickly as they saw the fast approaching biker, heading towards them head on.

_'What is this?'_ Ghost thought in despair.

"No!" Priest screamed as Black Hat stepped away from him, standing behind Ghost, growling and scowling with incredulity as he saw the biker woman stand up and balance on the bike.

"Black!" Ghost screamed, turning to Black Hat and shaking him by the shoulders when realization hit her just as Priest brought Lucy up into his arms.

Black Hat was in a stunned shock and they had less than 5 seconds to do something. Everything after that happened almost too fast. Ghost glanced briefly at her back just as the bike filled with explosives hit the nose of the train, the woman riding it jumping out of the way, and Priest releasing himself from the train with Lucy in his arms. Train compartments began exploding one after the other in fast succession.

With a final horrified look towards the shocked Black Hat, Ghost cursed, wrapping her arms around him without a second thought. At the last moment, he seemed to snap out of it, and covered her body with his own just as they jumped sideways away from the exploding train using their combined force. They were a second too late though, for as they jumped the compartment they had been standing on went aflame, the explosion reaching them midair, engulfing them and the force of it pushing them througsh the air.

One moment everything around them was surrounded by the thundering noise of the explosions and the overwhelming flames that consumed their bodies. After that, there was a crash against the hard ground before everything went silent and darkness met them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **This is it for the movie storyline. I originally had it planned to span out during three chapters, but two seemed to do alright, I had a lot of useless stuff taking up space that didn't need to be added. I'm really looking forward to the next chapters, I'll be introducing some new OCs so keep your heads up ;) Don't ask me why, but while writing the train explosion scene I was listening to a remix of the show Adventure Time "Sexy Hot" line...I know super random lol Oh well! As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as well as constructive criticism. Peace out!**  
><strong>


	11. Living Dead

******Disclaimer:** ****I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 11: Living Dead<strong>

"Who were they?"

Priest tensed for a moment, halting his body search momentarily and throwing aside the chunk of metal he had just looked under. He had feared that question; he didn't know how she would react, Lucas had been her one friend since childhood. Even for him it had been difficult to face his former comrade and good friend. He had once looked up to him as a brother, despite Lucas being a few years younger than he was. The man was exceptionally mature for his age back then and genuinely good at heart. When he and Sarah were feeling down he was the one who smiled and shone up a room, helping them through their hurdles.

"Isaac?" she spoke his name when he didn't answer, walking around him to face him. "What is it?"

With a heavy sigh he decided to tell her the truth. "Lucas."

Her brown almond eyes widened instantly at the unused name, disbelief drawing upon her features. "What? Isaac, he-"

"I know...He fell but-" Isaac paused as he considered his words, remembering Lucas' own description of the events. "He wasn't the Lucas we once knew," he gave her an apologetic look.

"I don't understand," her voice wavered and her eyes watered, overwhelmed with emotion. "What do you mean he wasn't the same?"

"The day he fell, the vampires took him before the Queen," Isaac explained as calmly as he could and Sarah gasped at the last bit of information. "The Queen transformed him into a human-vampire with her blood...She turned him into a monster, Sarah; yellow eyes, fangs..."

They were both silent then, Sarah coming to terms with the information but breathing deeply, calming her feelings as best as she could. Guilt suddenly drew itself upon her features, realizing that she was the one responsible for destroying her former friend, but Isaac placed a hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze and shaking his head as he held her distraught gaze. "He wasn't the Lucas we knew, don't even think about blaming yourself. He was ready to kill me and Lucy."

Sarah nodded in understanding, realizing that he was right. It was just like Familiars then; once they were infected, they were no one's family or friends. Isaac's wounds were proof of the damage their former friend had inflicted upon him. Lucas would've never done that but the monster he turned into would. No wonder the Priests had been defeated and killed back in Jericho. It brought a chill to her spine, the thought that such a strong creature could exist. It made it all the more disturbing that it had taken a large load of explosives to bring down Lucas, for he had easily overpowered the strongest Priest alive and would've killed him if given more time.

"I saw two figures atop of the train," Sarah recalled. "Who was the other one?"

Isaac shook his head. "I don't know. It was a woman, but from what I could see she was like him, a human-vampire."

"Two of them," Sarah gasped. "Do you think there are more?"

"Impossible to tell," Isaac replied and resumed his body search, Sarah following suit, kicking over scraps of burnt metal and wood. "We'll have to search for the Queen and only then we'll find out."

Dusk was nearing fast and they found nothing else but vampire bodies strewn apart. Their search for the human-vampire corpses came up empty for the moment. It didn't help the fact that a sand storm was approaching in the distance.

"Priest!" Hicks called out, Lucy by his side as they walked towards the bikes. Isaac turned around to face the sheriff. "We didn't find them, but we'll have to go for now, there's a storm brewin' up."

Isaac and Sarah watched the impending storm, thunder and lighting following in its stride.

"He's right, we won't be doing ourselves any favors if we stay," Sarah urged Isaac, whom nodded in agreement. "We can resume the search when daylight breaks."

Isaac spotted a decapitated vampire head just a few feet away from him and approached it, ripping off part of his robes.

"What are you doing?" Hicks asked in confusion, watching as the Priest wrapped the head in his torn robes and stood, walking to the bikes, Sarah following suit and Lucy getting on the bike with Hicks.

"Bringing the evidence to the Clergy," Isaac replied in a grave voice before he revved up his bike to life and turned to look at Sarah. "Contact our brothers and sisters, if the Clergy won't take it upon them to protect humankind, we will," he told her, speaking over the sound of the roaring bikes. Sarah nodded and he turned to Hicks and Lucy. "The two of you go back to Augustine. We'll meet back there," Lucy gave him a brief glance, conflict drawn upon her features. He understood that look, but he didn't expect her to cope with the fact that he was her biological father just yet. They would have to sit down and talk it over later. "I'll be there, I promise," he spoke to Lucy specifically.

Lucy nodded and offered him a smile just as Hicks revved up his bike, turning away from the cities to head towards Augustine. "Stay safe!" she yelled out before they parted ways.

_'I will, Lucy, I promise you that,' he_ set off with Sarah towards the cities, towards the next step of their fates. _'I won't leave you again.'_

* * *

><p><em>'Wake up, child.'<em>

Numbness met her when she slowly regained consciousness. Creeping her eyes open, she grunted at the dryness she felt in them. Fatigue urged her to close her eyes again, wanting nothing more than to rest.

_'No, you must awake. He needs your help.'_

Coughing as sand entered her nostrils, she opened her eyes and was met by something dark, seemingly metal. She tried to move but there was something heavy crushing her down. Moving her head sideways, she collided with something, grunting slightly in pain. Trying to push the weight that kept her down from her form, a horrified look made its way to her expression as she realized what the weight was, recognizing it as she touched it with her hands and felt it with her body.

"Black." It was meant to be a yell, but her throat was painfully dry and constricted. Everything flooded back to her, the last memories she had before she blacked out rushing back to her. She remembered grabbing him to jump from the train; she remembered his body covering hers and jumping with her just a second too late to escape unscathed.

_'He shielded me...Shielded me with his body,'_ She grunted, trying to move him from her body so she could help him, a silent, painful sob leaving her crushed lungs.

"Lucas!" she managed to exclaim through gritted teeth still trying to push him off. Taking a deep breath as best as she could, she set her jaw, gripped his sides and summoned strength from where she had none. Finally managing to lift him slightly, she quickly scooted from underneath him. Heaving painfully, her throat protesting from its dryness, she stared sideways in horror at his marred form lying face down, but more so at the chunk of metal sticking out from his upper back. She noticed they were underneath a large metal door, shielding them from where they were in a large ditch in the sandy ground.

Kicking the door away, she glanced around quickly and saw no one, setting straight away into action. Kneeling against her body's protest next to Black Hat, she moved him to lie on his side and sighed in relief when she heard him groan in protest. _'He's alive!'_

Still, looking at his present state pained her deeply. His face was charred with cuts, blood crusted along around his mouth and along his neck, burnt from a side of his jaw down to his neck. His coat was practically reduced to shreds, the fire having consumed most of it, and the rest of his clothing had several shreds and burns to it as well, blood seeping out from the several holes. Bringing trembling hands to his face, ignoring the severe burns in her left hand where bones were showing through, she slicked back his disheveled hair and pulled back his eyelids, the contraction of his pupils giving her some relief. Despite his living condition she still had to remove that piece of metal from his body so that he may heal properly.

"Luc," her voice was hoarse but she spoke through the dryness. "I need you to bear through this."

He only grunted in response, his expression contorting with pain. Ripping a piece of fabric from her coat, she ruffled in into a ball and pulled open Black Hat's mouth, tucking the piece of fabric into his mouth. "Bite down."

He did nothing at first, just breathed raggedly and kept his eyes closed as she brought his head to rest against her lap. With her jaw set, she wrapped a hand around the piece of metal and gripped down on his shoulder. She had to be careful; the metal was lodged dangerously close to his heart. Pulling at it and bringing her hand to press around the wound so she could guide it, he instantly tensed and growled underneath her, biting down hard on the fabric in his mouth and a hand darting out to grip her waist, pressing his face against her abdomen. With a final grunt she pulled, the chunk of metal leaving his body, a muffled scream leaving him and blood spilling out from the gruesome wound. Dropping the metal away, Ghost took off her coat just as he let out a stifled breath, his body going limp. Ripping the coat in half, she proceeded to gently wrap the strands of her coat around his chest, using them as makeshift bandages to help accelerate his healing.

"Stay with me," she managed to whisper, placing him on his back gently.

"Marion..." his voice was barely audible, but it was there despite being hoarse and stifled, his brow pulled together as he grimaced in pain, his eyes still closed.

Running her hand along his cheek softly, she looked up at the distance, seeing the cities looming in the horizon.

_'Need to get out of here, if we stay they'll find us.'_

Despite the pain that still racked her body, her skin pulled tight at certain parts from the burns, she managed to get to her feet, only to drop to her knees, grabbing her side with a trembling hand.

_'Fuck!'_ Pulling back her bloody hand, she stared down at her left side and realized that she had a sizeable gash along it, some of her ribs crunched inward, crushing several of her inner organs, though not bothering to feel around which organs. _'Forget that, I have to save him.'_

Pushing the pain to the back of her mind, she tried again, and with a scream got to her feet, though hunched over from the large wound. Bending down, she grabbed Black Hat's arms, wrapped them around her neck and pulled his whole form onto her back, bringing her arms under his knees in a sort of piggyback stance.

"Gah!" she suddenly vomited blood but fought through the pain, her legs trembling and hunching over at his weight on her back. Normally she would have no trouble, but in her weakened state he seemed to weigh a ton. Gritting her teeth, her expression determined, she began dragging her feet along the ground, his limp head resting over her shoulder.

_'Save him...I need to save him.'_

* * *

><p>The sun was brutal on the parts of her exposed skin as she continued dragging her legs along the ground, his weight making it all the more difficult. Each step was more difficult and painful than the next, and the blistering sun did no favors in helping her burns. She really didn't know the extent of her injuries, yet she didn't stop to find out; she needed to have him safe first. The primordial problem was that she was merely following her sense of direction; heading in what she was sure was the way towards Jordan. But it was so far from the cities, practically a 3-day travel on bike and 4 days on desert car. On foot...<p>

_'Don't stop, keep going, ignore the pain,' _she chanted in her mind like a mantra, squinting her eyes, staring out into the horizon, the heat rising in waves from the ground. Glancing sideways she let out a brief sigh of satisfaction when she saw a slight twitch to Black Hat's closed eyes. But she could tell he was very weak and not healing properly, the minor wounds taking too long to even begin to close up. _'Please, stay with me.'_

Suddenly, her step faltered and she fell to one knee, grunting as she struggled to hold his weight on her back, holding tightly to his legs. Heaving, she readjusted his weight on her back and struggled back to her feet, continuing her painful stride.

_'Don't falter now.'_

Ghost's head snapped around in shock when she heard the voice but saw no one. Ignoring it, she concluded that she must have been going delusional from blood loss and the intense heat.

_'If you stop now you'll both die.'_

Eyes going wide, she looked around again only to come up empty. _'I must really be losing it,'_ she thought dryly.

_'You still need to meet them, child.'_

Letting out a snarl of frustration, she somehow managed to accelerate her pace, pushing through all the pain with the motivation to make the voices in her head shut up.

It must have been a few minutes of silence, no voice in her head, only her huffing and grunting as she vaguely jogged, making sure she didn't drop Black Hat. Then she saw something in the distance and she could hardly believe her eyes.

_'The universe must love me right now,'_ she thought in relief, watching as a desert truck readily approached them. Releasing Black Hat's body carefully onto the ground, laying him on his back, she stood right in the way of the truck's path. Making her best damsel in distress impression, she waved her arms in a desperate manner.

The truck screeched to halt before her, a man peaking at her over the windshield. Jumping out of the truck, he ran up to her with a genuine worried and scared look on his face.

"Ma'am! What happened?" he made to help her but Ghost held out her hand, making sure she kept her gaze hidden by her hair over her face so that he may not see her eyes.

"Sir," she made the best desperate whimper she could muster while speaking carefully so as to hide her fangs. "My husband, please help him first, he's very injured, please..."

The man's gaze shifted to the body a few feet behind her. Glancing quickly at her he nodded and ran towards the injured Black Hat.

_'Got you,'_ she thought in victory, approaching the man from behind.

"Sir," the man kneeled beside Black Hat, his hands straightening the human-vampire's head. "Can you hear me, sir?"

Ghost didn't allow him to do anything else, sneaking around his back, grabbing his head and twisting it, breaking his neck. She caught the limp body before it fell upon Black Hat. Taking the dead man's wrist, she sliced it open and brought it to Black Hat's slightly gaping mouth. Blood fell into Black Hat's mouth but he didn't swallow.

"Lucas!" Ghost seethed desperately, hands trembling as she held the man's wrist over her mate's mouth. "Please! Drink! Don't give up on me!"

Shaking him slightly, he suddenly choked, eyes opening wide for the briefest of moments before he began drinking the blood, even mustering the strength to bite the wrist held against his mouth.

Ghost sighed in relief and waited patiently as Black Hat drank his fill. She was absolutely tempted to take a small drink herself, but she was sure that if she tried it she wouldn't be able to control herself and Black Hat really needed the blood, he was so weak. After a while he finally released the wrist with a gasp, his eyes opening briefly again before closing. Ghost threw aside the now pale body and gave Black Hat a quick inspection. The blood seemed to help him, as he let out his painful groaning, his breathing calming slightly. A satisfied sigh left her lips as she observed the smaller wounds beginning to close. However, he still needed the rest to recover, so she didn't expect him to wake up and walk all of a sudden.

"Come on," she groaned, taking him up over her back again and walking towards the now abandoned truck. Opening the passenger's door, she heaved as she pulled his body into the seat, laying him on his back. Closing the door, she quickly limped to the driver's side, turning on the truck before pulling Black Hat across the long seat, having his head lie across her lap.

"We're going now, we're going," she hushed his slight groan of pain, stroking his resting face lovingly before kicking the machine into gear and turning it around.

* * *

><p>Dawn was approaching. Ghost had been driving for hours now, having spent the rest of the previous day and night with her eyes glued on the vast desert, glancing from time to time at the truck's old GPS making sure she was heading towards Jordan. It seemed so far away though, and with every hour that passed she felt weaker and weaker, her numerous wounds protesting against her, begging her for a rest and her throat pleading for blood. It would take 3 more days of travel and she had absolutely no idea how she was going to make it without fainting on the wheel. With one hand on the wheel, she kept the other close to Black Hat's face, stroking his hair when he let out groans of pain. Her eyes were drooping; slapping her face to keep awake she stared out intently out the windshield, seeing nothing but desert and rocks.<p>

_"Now entering south of Providence."_ The GPS's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Her brow furrowed suddenly, the town's name triggering something in her memory.

**"These last 4 years I have been alone, avoiding as much social contact as possible on the outskirts of Providence, and going by the name of Jonathan Siv."**

With a gasp, eyes widening at the realization, her hand darted to the GPS. Eyes shifting from the road to the GPS, she quickly searched the nearest farm outpost.

_"Outpost 7, 5 miles."_

The outskirts of Providence could have been anywhere and searching for her deceased's brother's old house might take forever if she didn't stop for directions. She just hoped that someone at least had a vague memory of the Priest that once lived among them.

* * *

><p>"Hello, sir! Excuse me!" Ghost's voice was still hoarse, but she managed to make it sound as friendly as possible. She had wrapped her coat's sash around her head like a head covering, hiding her eyes as best as she could, and had wrapped her body in an old blanket she found in the back of the truck to hide all the blood stains and wounds from peaking through.<p>

The old man she had been calling out to turned around, leaving behind his farm work as he cautiously approached the truck. "I need to ask you a question, sir. I need directions."

"Well, 'ello. By all means ask away, miss. Anything to 'elp out a lady in need," the old man smiled in a friendly way, his moustache rising with the action.

Ghost smiled back as best as she could, leaning closer to the open window. "I'm looking for a man that goes by the name of Jonathan Siv. If memory serves me right, I was told a few years ago that he lives around the outskirts of Providence. I don't know where though.

"Jonathan Siv," the man brought a hand to his chin to scratch it in thought, his brow furrowing together. After a few seconds of silence, only the man grumbling to himself, his eyes suddenly lit up, raising his gaze to stare at Ghost from under his hat. "Ah, yes! Now I remember, strange folk, eh? Think 'e was one of 'em Priest, folks say 'e broke vows."

"That's the one," Ghost replied, inwardly sighing in relief that she got something. "You know where he lives?"

"Well, sure I remember where 'e lived," he answered, pausing briefly to scratch the back of his head. "But 'e disappeared a few years back. Ain't no one told you? 'E just left one day, bought some of me provisions on 'is way, usually did that, nice guy 'e was. 'Asn't turned up since then, though. Think the poor man 'ad no family, no one filed a search for 'im...You knew 'im, miss?"

Ghost sighed; of course he wouldn't return, she thought, she had killed him. "Yes, sir. Not very well though, I was just a friend of the only family he once had. His father died a couple of months ago and left a will for him. Their relationship was strained to say the least, but he truly did care for him in the end," she fed him the lie, hoping it sounded convincing.

"Well, sorry to 'ear that, miss," he took off his hat in respect, holding it against his chest. "Either way, 'is shack is an 'our drive from 'ere. No one's been near 'is place for a while now, they say the place is 'aunted. 'Dunno if you'll find something useful there, miss."

Ghost nodded and said, "I understand. I intend to go and at least have a look. Where do I continue from here?"

"Just continue north from 'ere," the man turned and pointed to the horizon. "You'll drive for 'bout 40 minutes before you see a field of them boulders. The shack is in there, need to be watchful or you might miss it, and it's around the center."

Ghost nodded again and smiled; giving the man the best thankful look she could muster. She was fighting as well with the urge to just attack the man and drink his blood, but she couldn't leave anymore traces. Besides, she was too weak. "Thank you, sir. I appreciate the information."

"Godspeed, miss," the man smiled and stepped back, waving as she drove away.

* * *

><p>Killing the vehicle's engine, she carefully removed Black Hat's head from her lap and leaped out of the truck, falling briefly to her knees before she got back to her feet and limped towards the small house. Peaking over the stained windows, she rubbed the sleeve of her shirt along the glass to stare inside. All she could see was a simple kitchen and a small table, but from the looks of it the place was truly abandoned. Going back to the truck, she opened the passenger's door and pulled Black Hat out, heaving him on her back and walking to the house.<p>

"We're here, you're safe now," she reassured him, even though he was passed out.

Kicking the door open, she coughed briefly when dust was lifted into the air by the action. With a once over at the small house, seeing everything dusty and with spider webs, clear evidence that no one had even stepped inside for years, she entered and kicked the door closed behind her. The house only had one room, the kitchen and dining table to her right, a small couch to her left, and a single bed at the end of the room. Going straight for the bed, she dropped Black Hat's body upon the bed, dusting it off quickly as she adjusted him carefully upon it.

At this point she was practically on autopilot, her body beyond exhaustion but fighting through for Black Hat. She proceeded to remove all of his clothing to clean and bandage his wounds, finding a first aid kit in the small bathroom hidden in a corner of the room.

It took her at least 20 minutes to have him properly bandaged and clean, to an extent. His whole torso, marred by large cuts and blistering burns, was practically wrapped wholly in bandages, his neck followed suit with the wound Priest had given him and the burns he had sustained there. His arms and feet had, thankfully, only sustained minor injuries and burns. Truly, his most fatal wound was the one on his back, where the chunk of metal had lodged near his heart. Ghost was relieved, however, when at close inspection she could see that the gaping wound was surely closing, the blood he had drank obviously running its effect on helping his body heal. Making sure he wasn't uncomfortable, laying him on his side so as to relieve his back wound from any pressure, she put his pants back on to give him some decency and brought two blankets over his form, wrapping him up to the shoulders. Touching his now serene resting face, apparently the pain slowly subsiding, she stood from the corner of the bed, making to go to the bathroom to inspect her neglected wounds.

She stopped, however, when something on the dusty nightstand caught her eye. With a trembling hand, she picked up the dust-ridden object, an old photo. Blowing the dust off of it, she gasped before letting a dry sob escape her, her expression contorting in anguish. In the photo were her father, Mathew, Thomas and herself, the last family photo they had taken back when she was 15, a year before they took Thomas away. She continued staring at the photo as she walked towards the bathroom, collapsing against the wall, wailing as bloody tears streaked down her marred cheeks.

"Thomas...Pops..." she whispered, drawing her fingers over the beaming faces of her brother and father. They all looked so happy, anyone would say they were the happiest family in the world. Even she looked positively joyful, her grin wide and bright, her once light blue eyes staring at her from the photo; the old Marion, the girl she once was.

The pain at the gashing wound at her side brought her back to reality, remembering that she needed to tend to herself now that Black Hat was safe. Pushing herself off of the wall, she carefully placed the photo on the sink's counter, almost gasping with shock as she saw her reflection on the sink's small mirror. Her hair was in disarray, some of her locks burned off even, but what drew her attention were the burns that started along her left ear and went down the back of her neck. Ripping of her shirt, remaining in her camisole, she saw that the blistering burn stopped just around her shoulder and upper back. Looking down and ignoring the diverse burns and gashes that marred her now naked arms, safe for the strips of glove she still had left, she noticed the wound that was being the official royal bitch of pain. The whole left side of her ribcage was completely covered in dry blood over her slightly torn camisole, which she raised to take a look. The wound was gruesome; the area of her floating ribs was nothing but an open gash, slightly caved in from the large cut, as if someone had tried to slash her open with a sword. Poking her fingers near the wound, she flinched as she inspected it, noticing that she truly had several broken ribs, some of them crushed into various of her internal organs.

She was about to go into cleaning the still bleeding wound when her vision began to blur.

_'No...Stay...Awake...' _she told herself, her head starting to bob back and forth with the overwhelming dizziness. With a shaky hand, she brought a wet towel to her open wound, gritting her teeth briefly before a wild cough overwhelmed her. Holding onto the sides of the sink, she coughed and gagged until she suddenly vomited blood, dripping violently down her chin, then to her neck and chest. Forcing herself to stand up straight, her eyes suddenly went wide at the vertigo that hit her and, before she knew it, her vision swirled around her and she met the floor solidly.

"Black..." she gurgled out, staring up at his lying form on the bed, her arm reaching out. Her vision began to fade, her ears suddenly felt clogged, and she could feel her heartbeat slowing as she found herself short of breath, slowly drifting into unconsciousness, or perhaps something else. "Lucas..."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **First post-movie chapter! Sorry there wasn't much participation on Black Hat's part, it won't be like that next chapter ;) As always, thanks so much for reading and reviewing. Reviews are greatly appreciated, as well as constructive criticism. Peace out!**  
><strong>


	12. Heavy in your Arms

********Disclaimer:** ******I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12: Heavy in your Arms<strong>

"Isaac!" Sarah called out, kneeling on the ground to inspect what she had just found, tracing her fingers over it.

"What did you find?" Isaac walked over to Sarah along with the other two Priests that were accompanying them. One was a male Priest, a tall man with tan skin, grey eyes, and dark brown hair tied into a low ponytail. The other was a female, the youngest of the group, red hair cropped in a short pixie cut, her light-green eyes wide and expressive, face ridden with freckles contrasting against pale skin.

"Tracks," Sarah almost whispered in response, standing up as her comrades studied what she found. "Human-like, not vampires."

"Probably a woman," the male Priest followed the tracks slowly, studying them carefully. "Only one survived then."

"Wait," the redhead stepped forward, the others looking at her as she matched her steps with the footprints, her face set into a frown.

"What's wrong?" Sarah inquired, observing as the other woman seemed to imitate the steps of the person who had made them. Isaac, however, seemed to understand almost instantly.

"She was carrying someone," the redhead answered, Isaac nodding in agreement.

"The steps are very well marked and it seems at times she dragged her feet," Isaac explained, the other Priests watching what he was referring to while the redhead followed the steps.

"Then it's possible they both survived, unless she was just carrying a corpse," Sarah mused, her face contorting with frustration.

"No. It's highly probable both of them were alive," Isaac answered, looking at Sarah with a serious but worried look. "Why carry a corpse if you want to save yourself?"

Sarah nodded in agreement. "This only complicates things then...What's wrong, Gabriela?"

"The tracks stop here," the redhead, Gabriela, bent down to move the dust around but found nothing. "What do you think, Micah?

"Sandstorms must have wiped them clean," the tall Priest answered, studying the landscape carefully.

They looked to Isaac then, their leader whom was in deep thought, considering what to do. He thought of sending Micah and Gabriela after any trace they might find, but the desert was vast for two people searching another two. Besides, he'd experienced first hand how strong they were, and that was only by fighting one, whom barely broke a sweat. If he sent Micah and Gabriela he might as well be dooming them.

"We'll go to the rendezvous point, meet with the others," Isaac finally decided. "The human-vampires are too dangerous to face alone, we'll need to be better prepared. With their traces hidden we might as well be walking into the wolf's mouth."

* * *

><p>Stiffness was the first thing he felt as he came to. Groaning, he slowly rolled onto his back, wincing in pain when he felt a slight pang of pain at the action. He brought a hand to his face, rubbing his eyes as he slowly opened them, glaring up at an unfamiliar ceiling.<p>

_'What happened? Where am I?'_ he wondered while looking sideways, only to be met by a wooden wall, worn down by the years. With a grunt he managed to sit up, bringing a hand to his chest only to notice that it was heavily bandaged. In fact, he observed, his whole torso was bandaged, along with his neck and parts of his arms. It suddenly hit him like a freight train, his last memories crashing down on him suddenly. With a loud gasp, eyes widening, he stared around wildly searching for her. Almost instantly he found her, freezing for a moment as he digested the scene, his heartbeat caught in his throat.

"Marion!" he managed to yell, though his voice came out hoarsely from disuse. There she was, a few feet away from the bed he had been lying on, strewn on the floor over a pool of what was obviously her own blood. Instantly, he practically leaped from the bed, kneeling right next to her and bringing her torso onto his lap. With a quick look over, he saw that she had apparently vomited a large amount of blood and quickly saw the possible cause of it; a large gaping wound on the left side of her ribcage. There was still some fresh blood seeping out from it, but most of it was already mostly dry on the floor or her camisole and pants, clear evidence that she had bled...a lot.

"Damnit! Fuck!" he shook her slightly by the shoulders, pleading in his mind for her to just wake up and heal. "Marion! Don't do this, you can't!" he pleaded desperately, proceeding to pull back her eyelids, panicking suddenly when he saw that her pupils were starting to dilate. "No!" he growled, bit hard into his wrist and pressed it against her slightly agape mouth. "Drink!"

She did nothing, not even a groan of pain escaped her. Pressing the wrist harder against her mouth, he became even more panicked when he felt for her heartbeat and found none. "No..." he whimpered suddenly. He had never felt so anguished, desperate and helpless all at the same time. "Drink!" The blood spilled from her mouth now, not even going down her throat.

Recalling his days in Priesthood, and not knowing if the same principles applied, he lied her on her back against the floor, pulling her head back before ripping open her camisole. Crossing his hands over where her heart might be, he pressed down several times before bringing his bleeding wrist back to her mouth.

"Please..." he begged with her lifeless body. Cursing with a snarl, he brought his hands back to her chest and compressed again, looking for that restart in her face, blood dripping down the side of her mouth. "Drink!" his voice practically cracked now as he brought his bleeding wrist to her mouth yet again.

Deciding it was worth a shot at this point, he covered her nose and blew air into her mouth, even though he knew it wasn't really essential for them. "Don't." He brought his hands to her chest once again and pressed. "Do this." He begged through gritted teeth and pressed again. "To me." He compressed hard with a loud growl and suddenly felt something stir under his hands. Eyes widening, he did another compression and almost let out a sob of relief when she suddenly kick started back to life, her yellow eyes widening in shock, mouth agape and gasping loudly as her back arched off the floor. It only lasted for about 5 seconds before she collapsed back on the floor...only now her heart kept beating, pumping his blood through her system, and she was breathing, albeit softly. But it didn't matter that she had passed out, the important thing was that she was alive.

Trembling with overwhelming relief, he scooped her carefully into his arms and brought her to the bed, placing her on her good side gently. Looking around, he saw a first aid kit by the floor near the bed and quickly went through it, instantly noting that there were no bandages left. Cursing, he scanned the alien room and spotted a closet door slightly ajar. He walked to it and searched, settling for taking some folded bed sheets and towels, shredding the bed sheets to smaller pieces. Wetting the towels under the bathroom sink, wincing when he saw the blood crusted to the sink and recognizing its scent as Ghost's, he was about to go back to her when something on the sink's counter caught his eye; it was an old photo of three people smiling. Setting down the sheets and towels on the counter, and glancing towards Ghost to make sure she was still alive, he picked up the photo and studied it. Almost instantly he recognized the teenage girl in the photo, beaming like she didn't have a care in the world; it was Ghost. The two men in the photo he recognized from her memories, and obviously because Thomas had been a fellow Priest.

_'I thought she didn't have family photos left,'_ he thought, recalling that she had told him that everything had been lost in the fire many years ago. He flipped the photo then and frowned when he didn't recognize the writing on the back.

"_God, watch after their souls. May they rest in peace under your grace,_" Black Hat read the text scribbled in the back and realization dawned upon him then. "Thomas' house," he concluded, a frown forming on his face as he wondered how she managed find it, deciding to figure it out later in favor of taking care of her wounds, quickly striding back to her side and placing the photo on the nightstand.

As he cleaned her wounds she winced in pain occasionally; in particular when he cleaned her gaping wound, but that was his reassurance that she was still with him...that she was alive. After a few moments he finished patching up her upper body, proceeding to her lower extremities when he noted the several shreds in her pants. Taking off her boots, her pants following suit, he left her in her boy shorts as he inspected her wounds. They weren't as grave as the ones on her torso, but she still had several slashes and burns along her thighs. Cleaning and bandaging her wounds, his mind drifted into other thoughts. The thought that she had been essentially dead when he awoke filled him with helpless anguish and despair. He had never felt so powerless and vulnerable in his life, not even in his days in Priesthood or his fall in Sola Mira. Right now, he mused, he was more like the man he used to be, the Lucas he once was and less like the Black Hat he had become. Lucas was a warm, compassionate man, albeit grave and serious when he had to be, but he wasn't afraid to show his emotions before his friends. On the other hand, Black Hat was cruel, a monster born from anger and betrayal. And now...now his raw emotions were leaking through his savage exterior.

_'If I had woken up a moment later...'_ he shook his head, not even wanting to consider that possibility. He finished bandaging her wounds then and with an anxious sigh he dropped to his knees beside the bed. Taking her good hand in both of his own, he pressed it against his lips as he stared at her calm expression. He wanted to etch her face into his memory more than it already was; the thought of almost losing her made him think that he might not remember her in all of her beauty and fierceness, he thought that he might miss details. But she was there, breathing softly, her skin cold under his touch, her eyes stirring under her eyelids as she was apparently dreaming. He released a breath, closing his eyes when her hand twitched under his grip, grasping at his hands. Smoothing her hand over his cheek, he reveled in her touch and remained like that, stroking the back of her hand with his fingertips as he watched her carefully while she healed.

* * *

><p>Lucy let out a heavy sigh, the voices in the next room barely a murmur to her ears. Getting fed up with the sound, she left her room and went out to the porch, heaving herself up to the wooden railing and sitting on it. Staring out at the horizon, she smiled when she saw the full moon that hovered over the clear night sky. She was still shaken from the events she had lived through but was determined to not allow herself to become a burden to anyone. Sure she still hurt for the death of her parents, well her mother and uncle really, but she really didn't expect that grief to heal quickly.<p>

"Meeting's over."

She jumped at the grave voice, her head wiping around to stare at her uncle, or rather her father. Nodding, she remained silent, not really knowing what to say, and turned to stare at the moon again. She heard his footsteps as he tentatively propped his body over the railing, sitting himself a considerable distance from her, giving her the space she needed.

Getting fed up with the awkward silence that fell between them, and wanting to avoid the topic of the fact that he was her biological father, she cleared her throat, his gaze instantly turning to her.

"You can ask me about what happened in the train, I won't mind," she said, receiving an inquiring look from the Priest as he wondered how she came to that conclusion. "I might have heard bits from the meeting, I heard you say that you would ask me about the whole ordeal when I was ready to face it...Well, I think the sooner you ask the better," she rubbed at her arm, feeling the awkwardness between them and avoiding his gaze.

Isaac nodded, looking down at his hands crossed over his knees. "You sure?"

"Yeah," she was quick to answer.

"Very well," he turned to look at her again. "Tell me whatever you want, I'll ask you from that."

"Fine," she sighed, willing her mind to relive the memories and conversations from the train. "Umm, well I overheard you saying that you didn't know who the woman was, all I managed to get from her was that she goes by the alias of Ghost. Sorry I couldn't get her real name I-"

"No, it's alright," he quickly interceded and continued when she frowned in confusion. "Aliases can be useful. I'll tell the others about it and see what we find out. Hicks may even know something. Go on."

"Oh, I see then," she nodded in understanding, feeling a bit relieved that she insisted on asking her captors questions. "I think she was the man's wife, the man with the black hat I mean. I asked her if he was her husband and she said 'You could say that'...So I think that may be a 'yes'. She also said that his name was Black Hat, another alias. I think he may have been a Priest at some point; had a cross tattoo just like you and the others."

"Lucas."

"What?" Lucy frowned, turning to stare at Isaac.

"His real name is Lucas," Isaac repeated, his brow furrowed together. "Lucas Faust. He was my friend in Priesthood."

Lucy was silent for a moment as she digested the information. _'No wonder he wanted my unc- father to join him...That's why he knew about me.'_

"What happened to him then?" she inquired, trying to put the pieces together of how a man whom was once a Priest turned into a monster.

"I couldn't save him," Isaac tightened his fists together, the memory still haunting him to this day, and the thought of his former friend turned into a monster, that was possibly alive, disturbing him. "He turned into a monster because of me. During one of our last missions before the war ended, we went to hunt the Queen and he...he fell. I tried to hold on but I wasn't strong enough...The vampires took him."

Lucy didn't know what to say, suddenly understanding Isaac's torture and Black Hat's anger. She didn't want to justify the human-vampire's actions, but she thought that perhaps he blamed Isaac for his transformation and that's one reason he wanted the Priest by his side. "That doesn't mean it's your fault...There are some things we can't control."

Isaac merely nodded, turning to his daughter. "What else did they tell you?"

Lucy shook her head, trying to remember any other useful piece of information. "Not much. Black Hat, or should I say Lucas, he just said that he only wanted to be free from rules and people telling him that his desires are sins, something like that. He said that they would cleanse this world. Nonsense really."

"It's alright," he reassured her, jumping off from the railing. "Shall we go inside? It's getting cold," he was really trying to be sympathetic to her; though he was sure he was just coming off as awkward.

Lucy hadn't really realized she had been shivering and nodded. She jumped down and walked towards the door as he stepped aside to let her in first. However, she stopped and turned to face him, an uneasy look in her face.

"What's wrong?" Isaac frowned, bringing a hand up to her shoulder.

She offered him a small smile and shook her head. "Nothing. I just remembered that I never thanked you for saving me."

Isaac scoffed and put his other hand over her other shoulder, holding her gaze with his own. "You don't have to thank me. I would save you as many times as necessary."

Wanting him to understand that she truly was thankful, she surprised him by stepping close and bringing her arms around him, hugging him tight. They still had to talk about the issue of her being his daughter, but that could wait. He hesitated, his expression tinged with surprise before it softened slightly and he returned the embrace.

* * *

><p><strong>"He is beginning to see."<strong>

**Turning her head from her lying position, she saw the exotic woman that was familiar to her standing at the edge of a lake. "Ishtar?"**

**"Yes, child," the woman smiled. Ghost stood up and walked up to the woman, just standing beside her. "His chains are starting to break. He will only stay loyal to one."**

**"I still don't understand you," Ghost sighed, picking up a stone and throwing it at the serene water, skipping three times before it sunk. **

**"You know of whom I speak, my dear," the woman spoke softly, her scarlet eyes set upon Ghost. "Her threat has worried him, but your condition only adds to his concern. In effect, he doubts. He has learned from you. You have shown him the soul of the vampire."**

**Ghost was silent for a moment, staring into nothingness. "Why are your words so confusing?"**

**The woman chuckled for a moment before answering, "Do not worry. You will understand soon. You will meet them."**

**"You keep talking about 'them'," Ghost said through gritted teeth, angry yellow eyes staring into serene scarlet ones. "Will you just tell me who 'they' are!"**

**"Be calm, child," Ishtar walked towards Ghost, bringing her arms around her in a motherly way. "The events will unfold themselves before you and you will know what to do."**

**Ghost let her head fall against Ishtar's shoulder in frustration and, suddenly, the ground broke under her feet and she fell into an abyss. **

**"Do not go back to her; she will try to kill you."**

Numbness met her as she awoke, finding it difficult to even open her eyes. She had to wait a few moments before her eyelids finally responded and she managed to pry them open. Her vision was blurry at first, not being able to distinguish anything clearly. Eventually, the cloud over her eyes began to clear out and she was met directly by her hands lying against the bed. However, what truly made her heart leap was when she saw and felt a familiar hand closed over one of her own. The owner of said hand had his head resting against the edge of the bed, his dark hair disheveled and his face sporting a full beard.

"Luc..." it was barely audible, the disuse of her voice making it hoarse. She managed to stir a bit then, her body feeling like it weighed a ton. Despite her weak attempt at moving, he managed to feel her movement, his eyes fluttering open, raising his head tiredly before his yellow eyes went wide.

He gasped and in an instant got up from the chair he had been sitting on, leaning over her and kissing her forehead before pulling back to stare intently into her tired eyes. "You're finally awake," he shuddered, relief etched into his expression, stroking her hair before caressing her cheek lightly with his fingertips. "Marion..."

"Hi," she smiled. "You haven't shaved in a while," she snickered weakly, managing to lift a hand up to his face to rest against his bearded jaw.

He caught her hand in his, holding it against his face as he gave her a worried look. "You were out for a week, I barely left your side. I was...afraid."

_'Afraid?'_ she frowned slightly because the word was rather alien in Black Hat's vocabulary, especially when it directly involved his persona. "Damn," she cussed, struggling to sit up. Black Hat was quick to help her, supporting her back and holding one of her arms for support. "I'm stiff as a board."

"You haven't moved in a while," Black Hat responded, his hands idling to the makeshift bandages around her torso. "I need to look at your wounds."

Looking down, she took notice of the wrapping around her, stained slightly with blood and her legs bare except for a few bandages around them as well. "Couldn't resist leaving me in my knickers?" she chuckled faintly, a headache pounding against her ears.

Black Hat, however, saw no joke to it, giving her a pointed stare, his brow furrowed together.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow.

He let out a heavy sigh, averting his gaze momentarily before looking up at her again, his eyes filled with anguish. "Sorry, I...I can't take this lightly..."

"Luc," she started, her voice still a bit croaky and weak. Holding his hand as tightly as she could, he responded to her grip almost desperately. "I know you must be so upset about the train, I am too but-"

"It's not that, forget that for a moment," he interceded, his eyes wide and pleading, staring intensely into her own. His hands came up to her face then, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as his distressed eyes studied her face. "You...You were dead, when I woke up. I had to revive you with my blood."

Silence fell between them then as Ghost digested the information, shock drawing itself upon her features. She recalled then the events after she arrived to Thomas' abandoned home; she had been functioning mostly automatically, as if she were on autopilot. She remembered inspecting her wounds before collapsing on the floor and fading into darkness.

"That is why you were afraid," she whispered in understanding, her brow furrowing with sadness as he nodded solemnly. It absolutely broke her heart that she had caused him such worry. "Sorry I scared you...I had to make sure you were safe before I took care of my own wounds, you were in a horrible condition, had a gaping hole through your back-"

"Hush, now," he stood up to sit on the edge of the bed besides her, wrapping his arms around her and resting his head against hers. "The important thing is that you are safe right now, and alive," he pulled back slightly to look at her, tracing his thumb along her chin. "I should be the one who's sorry...It is because of me that all of this happened, that this disaster happened. You shouldn't have had to suffer carrying my dead weight around, I-"

"Stop," she pressed a finger to his lips, shaking her head. "I would carry your wounded body as many times as it is necessary and bleed for you as well. You are my best friend and companion but above all you are my mate, my husband...I love you, that's reason enough," she took the hand that held her chin in place and pressed a kiss to his palm before holding it against her chest.

The smallest of smiles grazed his rugged features, the first one he'd offered her since she awoke. It was strange for them to utter those three little words of 'I love you'; they would always rather demonstrate that they truly did. But it was appropriate nonetheless and hearing her say them was a beautiful sound to his ears. "As do I..." he closed the gap between them, brushing his lips softly against hers. Suddenly, her lips left him and he quickly caught her when he realized that she was falling backwards into the bed. "Easy now."

"Sorry," she kept her eyes closed, the lightheadedness that suddenly came over augmenting her headache as a bonus. "I'm dizzy..."

"Fuck, you need blood, human blood," Black Hat cussed. Lying her on her back he quickly inspected her major wound, satisfied to find it closed, though the skin was still scaring and had a dark-reddish hue to it. Leaving her for a moment, he picked up her pants and put them on her, because he sure as hell wasn't going to take _his_ wife hunting in her underwear. He felt weird for a moment at thought of going through the clothes of his deceased brother in law, but pushed it to the back of his mind, going through the old drawers of the small dresser in the room and picking out a couple of black shirts.

"What are you doing?" he heard her ask when he approached her and saw her eyes trying to focus on him; she was probably having blurry vision.

He bent down, pulled her to a sitting position and brought one of the shirts over her head, the garment a bit too large for her small frame. "Making you a bit decent for the hunt," he commented, pulling the other shirt over his head before putting on his boots. "Come on." He picked her up into his arms and made his way out of the small house.

"Such a gentleman," she smiled weakly, allowing her head to rest against his chest.

* * *

><p>Squinting her eyes, she cut the strand of hair she had pinned between her fingers. Her mind, however, drifted to other things, particularly to the fact that Black Hat had been completely avoiding the matter of their failure. Since they had both hunted and recovered their energies she had tried to elicit the conversation but he merely dismissed it every time. The one thing he had insisted when she mentioned it was that they wouldn't go back to the Queen.<p>

_"We have to warn the Queen, by now the Priests-"_

_"No," he instantly cut her off, his eyes glued on the road. "We can't go back, we failed. By now she'll know, she must have sent messengers to investigate."_

_"But," she turned in her seat to face him, her brow furrowed together. "We have to do something. We can't just stand by idly and let the Priests make their move."_

_"Yes, we can stand by idly, at least for the moment," he replied, his face serious. "Besides, they won't find her easily, she's got the alternative hives."_

_"Lucas, you're being unreason-"_

_"I'm not losing you!" he growled, turning his gaze briefly to her startled expression with a fierce look. Letting out a deep breath, he shook his head, his features softening just slightly with his eyes back on the road. "I think she'll kill you if we go to her..."_

_She remained silent for a moment, her eyes shifting while she searched her thoughts. "Why? I don't..."_

_"I don't know."_

Ghost sighed at the memory, turning her gaze briefly to look at Black Hat's sleeping form on the bed. Turning back to the mirror, she ran her hand through her now short hair, ruffling it to search for any longer strands. She had so many burnt strands that she had to cut it short above her jaw to pair it up, framing her face as best as she could. Her hair fell straighter now with slight wisps to her ends, her waves not really apparent with the new style. Combing the strands that fell over her forehead in a messy manner, she left the bathroom, crawling on the bed next to Black Hat as best as she could because the bed was for a single person. Barely being able to lie comfortably on the bed, his large frame taking up most of it, she opted to climb on his naked back, considering he was resting face down. Sighing contentedly, she rested her body against his' fully, pressing her cheek against his upper back while she closed her eyes. She ran her hands along his now short-cropped hair, which she had cut earlier when he asked her to, trimming down his beard to a scruff as well.

"Comfy?" his voice rumbled underneath her.

"Mmm," she smiled, pressing a kiss to his shoulder and running her hands along his sides. "Quite."

"Careful," he grumbled and raised his body slightly. Ghost got the message and lifted her weight from his frame briefly as he flipped around to lie on his back. "Well, don't you look cute," he complimented, running a hand through her short hair while smoothing the other over the curve of her ass. "It strangely suits you."

She grinned in response, smoothing her hands over his chest before placing a chaste kiss to his lips. "Luc," she began, her face becoming serious when she decided that she wasn't going to allow him to stall any longer on touching the matter of their failure. "We need to talk. We need to discuss our next steps, I-"

He cut her off when he sat up without warning, wrapping her legs around his waist and standing from the bed. "We talked about that already," was his only response before he kissed and licked at her neck while walking towards the couch.

"Lucas," she sighed blissfully for a moment at his eager attention to her neck, bringing goose bumps to her skin and a delightful anticipation to her nether regions. He set her down on the couch, kneeling on the floor before and settling his body between her legs. "I'm serious," she tried to make it sound like a warning but looking into his lustful eyes made it difficult to concentrate.

He chuckled and smirked before lifting her shirt, a hand darting out to grab a breast through the fabric of her bra. "So am I," he replied, dipping his head forward to kiss hungrily the valley between her breasts.

_'Damn it all!'_ she cursed, her head snapping back and using her hands to hold onto his broad shoulders. _'He's not fooling me...The failure is really bothering him, he doesn't want to face it.'_

Licking a path down to her stomach, his hands left her breasts, moving down to her pants and beginning to undo her buttons and zipper. "Black," she growled through gritted teeth, her skin twitching with pleasure underneath his tongue probing along her navel. "I'm dead serious...Stop. We are having this conversation whether you like it or not, I know its bothering you."

He stopped just short to the band of her panties, his lips barely ghosting over the skin below her navel, and let out a heavy sigh. "You can't imagine how much it really bothers me." Dropping his arms by her sides, he looked into her eyes and she instantly recognized that tortured gaze, even though it was genuinely rare on his face.

"Don't you dare blame yourself," she leaned forward, catching his face between her hands. "What happened, happened, we couldn't reverse it."

"I should have know that Sarah would come along," he muttered, closing his eyes briefly, recalling the disaster. "I should have let you go after her."

"That was Sarah?" her brow furrowed and he nodded, suddenly understanding why he had hesitated and looked so shocked before the explosion; he had recognized his oldest friend. "Well, that doesn't matter now. We made our decisions and made our mistakes, perhaps we were too overtly confident," she debated, holding his gaze intently. "But, we can't give up, we still have a chance. Please, tell me you're not going to just give in."

He was silent for a moment as he considered his thoughts, his expression stern. "Something tells me you already have an idea...As long as there's no danger involved for you-"

"There won't," she cut him off, her gaze pleading with him to trust her. "And I do have an idea already."

"Well," he let out a deep breath, taking her hands from his face and holding them in his he urged her to continue. "Throw it at me."

"We can infiltrate the cities, just you and I," she began, determination drawn into her eyes. "No Familiars, no vampires, no telling the Queen; just plain old infiltration by stealth. I am sure it can work."

He frowned and looked at her as if she had grown a third head. "You're not considering the Priests..." he muttered but was quick to think it through, realization suddenly drawing upon his features. "They'll leave the cities...to hunt the Queen, they have the evidence in the train wreck."

She smirked and nodded, glad that he was quick to see her line of thought. "Our best bet is that they are already searching for the Queen, and from what I gather with the situation of the Priesthood with the Church-"

"They won't have the Church's support," Black Hat finished for her, his formerly sullen features now gaining the old motivation he had before the wreck. "The Clergy will only have their measly military to defend them."

"Exactly," she agreed. "Rather than bring the rampant chaos to the cities, we can instead bring it down from the inside, destroy the Church by silent infiltration. They won't expect it."

"Have I told you that I like the way you think?" he smirked, leaning forward and devouring her lips in a searing kiss. "The cities will be ours for the taking."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I hope you guys liked this chapter, sorry that there was still some healing and recovering going on :x Yes, the chapter's title is from Florence+the Machine (I love Florence, sue me lol) Thanks a whole lot of bunches to my readers for bearing with this story that was supposed to be short but is getting longer than originally anticipated!*takes deep breath* Reviews are greatly appreciated as well as constructive criticism :) Peace out!**  
><strong>


	13. Pagoda's Eyes

**********Disclaimer:** ********I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 13: <strong>Pagoda's Eyes<strong> **

"Hicks is back," Sarah announced, stepping into the main tent. Isaac turned around to face her as soon as he heard her step in. "He brought another sheriff along."

"What about Jeremiah and Mark, have they reported back yet?" Isaac asked, walking out of the tent alongside Sarah.

"No," Sarah replied. "I don't expect them to take much longer though."

Isaac merely nodded in response as they approached the two sheriffs, Lucy already by Hicks' side.

"Priest," Hicks spoke first. "I got that information on this Ghost person. Sheriff Henley here knows about that," he pointed to the middle-aged man next to him, whom tipped his hat in salute to the Priest and Priestess.

"What can you tell us, sheriff?" Isaac asked getting straight to the point.

"Well, this Ghost person was never actually found," the man began explaining while he brought out a file he had been holding and presented it to Isaac, whom promptly took it to inspect it. "The name was just given by the people when they learned of the murders; that killer never left a single trace, nobody heard him coming or saw him, hence the name."

"It's a 'her' apparently," Hicks interceded, receiving a pointed look from Priest. He quickly regretted saying that when he remembered that they were trying to keep the human-vampire thing on a down low.

"Really? You guys actually have a lead on that?" The sheriff turned briefly to Hicks before looking at Priest. "Ghost went M.I.A. around 4 years ago."

"Just tell us what you know," Isaac insisted as he looked at the list of victims that the file listed. _'There are churchmen in here...'_

"There's not much to say Priest," the sheriff shook his head. "It's all there in the file either way. As you can see she targeted churchmen mainly, but those that ain't churchmen we found out had some kind of relationship with the Church. Seemed to have some kind of grudge with the Church."

"Did churchmen stop visiting the Wastelands with these killings?" Isaac questioned when he recognized some of them as missionaries.

"Well, the missionaries became less and less frequent," Sheriff Henley explained. "But they really stopped showing up with the brutal killings that followed the massacre of Father Barnabas and his troupe."

"Tell me about that," Isaac urged the man, instantly remembering the deceased father's face.

"Around the same time that Ghost just stopped killing, this massacre occurred," the sheriff shook his head at the memory. "Bodies strewn apart, butchered like animals. Similar killings like that continued occurring, all against missionary troupes...That's when the Church deemed the Wastelands beyond salvageable."

Isaac remained silent as he considered the information and connected the dots in his mind. _'It coincides...That woman must have been turned around that time...It still doesn't tell me anything on who she is.'_

"Priest?" Hicks raised an eyebrow when the man remained silent. Lucy was by his side with a thoughtful frown on her face as she digested the information.

"Lucy," Isaac turned to his daughter then. "You're sure she didn't let slip anything about her past?"

Lucy shook her head, trying desperately to come up with something, anything, but coming up empty. "Sorry, she really was secretive."

Isaac nodded and turned back to the sheriff. "Thank you for your cooperation. Keep your eyes peeled for vampires."

"Vampires?" the sheriff repeated with disbelief.

Just then two bikes approached them, stopping before them. The riders dismounted the vehicles and approached them; they were two Priests.

"Jeremiah, Mark, what did you find?" Sarah inquired the men.

"Swallowtail reservation was completely empty," Jeremiah, the dark-haired man with a beard, answered. "60 crypts, all empty. Apparently very recently."

"Similar situation on Quicksilver," Mark, a bald man with grey eyes, continued the report. "I only found one vampire and disposed of it. The other 75 crypts were empty, not even Familiars around."

Isaac nodded and sighed as he realized the implication of this; they were probably regrouping in hives. "They're moving, possibly called by the Queen."

"What will we do?" Sarah asked quietly.

"Continue preparing and be cautious," Isaac replied, turning to look at the Priestess. "We need to destroy the Queen, but this time we must be readily prepared. There's no room for error."

* * *

><p>People scurried in the multitude as the end of the working day neared in Pagoda City. The tolling bells atop the towers strewn along the city were their only indication of time; their cities plagued by constant darkness brought on by the pollutant cloud that loomed over them. The rumors of vampires had spread like an epidemic and it only made people want to lock themselves in their homes earlier. Revived memories from the war only made them more paranoid.<p>

A hooded figure in the quickly moving crowd adjusted its cloak before turning to its tall companion by its side to make sure its hood was hiding its face well enough. The tall figure was dressed entirely in black, a hooded cloak worn over a long sleeved shirt with a grey vest over it, the sleeves of the cloak tucked into forearm gloves. Its dark pants were cargo styled and tucked into mid shin length boots. The shorter figure wore a dark hooded cloak as well, a sleeveless dark blue shirt with a Chinese collar underneath, the cloak's long sleeves brushing the figure's gloved hands. A dark blue sash adorned the figure's hips and form-fitting black pants were tucked into dark knee length boots.

Suddenly, a different bell toll resonated along the city and the mass of people stopped in their tracks turning to face their main cathedral.

"Cross yourself," the tall hooded figure whispered at its companion before they crossed themselves along with the other citizens when the orders of the Clergy resonated after the bell tolls.

_"To go against the Church is to against God."_

The citizens went back on their paths then, hustling and bustling about. The tall-cloaked figure pulled its companion close to its side, holding the shorter figure close to its body by the shoulders. The short-cloaked figure wrapped an arm around the other's waist as they both made their way around the mass.

"Black," the short figure spoke, looking up at her companion. "I think we're being followed," she whispered looking briefly over her shoulder.

"I know," Black Hat answered, peering from under his hood at his sides; he definitely felt eyes on them. "Don't look back. Come on."

He guided her through the crowd, searching for a place where they could stop for a moment. Their destination was Cathedral City and they were far from it. He spotted a motel in the distance and guided them both towards it, sneaking into an alley next to the motel. Seeing that the coast was clear, they both pulled their hoods over their heads.

"Do you think Priests are following us?" Ghost asked, a tinge of panic in her voice; she really didn't want to attract attention, much less the attention of Priests.

"No, it doesn't feel like it," Black Hat answered, his jaw set because he still felt that nagging sense of eyes on their backs. "It's strange though, I wish I could explain it."

"I really can't see anyone," Ghost peered briefly out of the alley and around them. "There's just no one...Maybe we're just very jumpy, perhaps it's nothing at all."

Black Hat nodded, pursing his lips before letting out a deep breath. "Maybe...For now let's just rest for the night, we still got a ways to go to Cathedral City."

Between preparing for the infiltration, carrying it out, and moving around Pagoda City, one of the cities adjacent to the walls, they really hadn't rested well enough.

Ghost nodded and reached up to pull her lover's hood back over his head. "Let me do the talking," she reached up and kissed his lips softly before pulling back to stare at his eyes shining under the darkness of the hood. "They'll think you're a Priest and question you."

"Your eyes-"

"I've got a little lie brewed up, don't worry," she winked and stepped back, taking his arm and pulling at it to get him to walk with her. "And I'll be careful when I speak," she explained before he could ask, referring to the matter of the fangs.

They walked towards the motel and, once inside, Ghost signaled with her head for Black Hat to wait while she talked with the clerk.

"Night," an unenthusiastic woman at the desk greeted her, obviously tired and fed up with her job. "Room for two?"

"Yes, please," Ghost answered, stepping in front of the desk and digging in her pockets for money.

"No baggage? Look," the woman leaned forward in her chair with a frown forming on her tired face. "I'm not about to get in trouble with the authorities, so why don't you and your client take your business somewhere else."

Ghost raised a confused eyebrow and suddenly understood, her eyebrows rising in insult. Black Hat, however, was quicker to understand what the woman _meant_ and interceded angrily before Ghost answered.

"I would appreciate it if you didn'tcall my wife a whore," he spat through gritted teeth, glaring daggers at the woman across the room.

The woman gasped and an apologetic look suddenly grazed her features, switching her gaze between Ghost and Black Hat. "Oh God! I'm so sorry; I didn't mean to offend you! It's just we get so many weird folk, and the authorities are up my ass with warnings and whatnot and-"

"It's okay, please," Ghost calmly raised a hand, urging the woman to relax, and giving Black Hat a look telling him to calm down before turning back to the woman. "Just tell me how much will it be for the room."

"Oh, certainly, sorry," the woman seemed more lively now, apparently from trying to recover from the embarrassment. "We have a room on the second floor, it'll be 75 units the night."

Ghost was quick to count the money before handing it to the clerk. It was then that the woman squinted her eyes and hesitated before asking, "I don't want to be rude, although I already have been, but what's wrong with your eyes, ma'am?"

"Congenital disease," Ghost deadpanned.

The woman nodded; apparently satisfied that Ghost didn't say 'infectious disease'. "Sorry, I couldn't help being curious," the woman answered awkwardly before handing over to Ghost the room's key card. "Here it is, room 205."

Ghost smirked and nodded. "Thank you," she turned to Black Hat and he stepped towards her, walking with her to the elevator.

Once the elevator door closed Black Hat let out an exasperated sigh. "Damn bitch, the nerve..."

"Hey, calm down, it was just a stupid assumption," she snaked her hands around his arm, bringing it over her shoulders and pressing her frame against it. "Thanks for defending my virtue, though," she smiled as they stepped out of the elevator.

"And I would defend it a thousand times over," he replied.

Finding their room, they walked up to it and Ghost slid the card over the door's keypad. Stepping inside, Black Hat shut the door behind them before he swung her around and pressed her against the wall, placing his hands at either side of her head.

Ghost gasped at the predatory look in his eyes. It absolutely made her mouth water the way his eyes lingered around her body, undressing her with his eyes. She raised her hands to his hood and pulled it back just as he dipped his head close, his lips ghosting over hers. Smoothing a hand over his cheek, he closed his eyes in bliss at the contact and she brought her thumb to his lower lip, parting it slightly. His eyes darted open before he brought her thumb into his mouth. She gasped in surprise, his tongue swirling briefly around her thumb and nibbling on it before releasing it. "Lucas..." she practically moaned out his name, arching against him just as he closed the gap and took her lips in his, his tongue instantly darting out to tangle with hers.

Her hands explored his upper body, opening his vest and lifting his shirt to expose his chest and abdomen before letting her hands drop to the band of his pants. She fiddled with his belt until she managed to unbuckle it while his lips darted down to her neck, sucking and licking her sensitive skin, his hands wandering freely around her torso. Unbuttoning his pants and unzipping his fly, she snuck a hand inside his boxers, grabbing his hardening manhood. He groaned against her skin and pulled his head back to look into her eyes with half-lidded eyes. Using his forearms to support himself against the wall from the pleasure, he bucked against her hand as she stroked his full length. "Marion," he breathed hotly against her ear in between his panting.

She shivered at his husky voice against her ear as she continued stroking his growing erection. Just as she leaned forward to kiss his neck, she heard something rustling outside the room's small window and she released him with a gasp, parting from him and glancing towards the window with shock.

"What's wrong?" he asked huskily, confusion drawn into his tone as he stared weirdly at her.

"You didn't hear that?" Ghost turned back to him, her chest still heaving from their actions and the startle from the noise.

He frowned deeply and shook his head, glancing briefly towards the window. "I'll take a look either way," he deadpanned, pulling his zipper up and buttoning his pants as he stepped to the end of the room where the small window was. He saw nothing outside and turned back to her when she approached him. "There's nothing out there. Are you sure-"

"Damn sure," she cut in before having a look herself. "Fuck! I still feel like someone's watching us!"

Black Hat sighed, glancing around the small room with a raised eyebrow. He hated to admit it but he suddenly did feel like they had eyes on them. "Come on, maybe it's best if we both rest," his tone was almost disappointed, but he sure as hell wasn't going to have sex with his wife when they had that weird feeling of someone watching them.

Ghost nodded, yet remained quiet, proceeding with Black Hat to get ready for bed. She'd never been to the cities before, but she sure as hell didn't like one bit of it so far.

* * *

><p><strong>"Do not be afraid," Ishtar had Ghost's hand on her arm, leading her down a white hallway. "They will not harm you."<strong>

**A blank stare remained on Ghost's face as they passed several rooms, the doors open. What caught her attention, though, was that she saw people in the rooms. "Who are they?"**

**"You will know, sooner than you expect," Ishtar smiled, stopping in front of one of the rooms. A man was pacing inside, a wine glass in his hand. He stopped briefly and Ghost watched as he turned to gaze at them. He had dark hair framing his face and a short trimmed beard, a playful smirk on his face. Red, almond-shaped eyes stared into hers. Startled, she looked away, turning around to look at the room behind her. A tall woman was in the other room, her arms crossed over her chest, wild curly brown hair cascading around her shoulders. Red, tiger-like eyes stared at her as well, only they were a lighter shade of red. **

**A young woman stepped out from one of the rooms into the hallway, staring at Ishtar and Ghost with a wild, confused look. Her hair was jet black and it fell just short of her shoulders, chopped up bangs framing her face in layers. Her eyes, however, surprised Ghost, for they were yellow like hers, only a shade lighter, more vibrant than hers. **

**"Who are you?" Ghost took a step forward towards the girl, some features of her face seemingly familiar to her for some reason.**

**The girl frowned and took a step away from Ghost, looking at her cautiously. Ghost frowned when the girl's bangs moved slightly, revealing a cross tattoo with a circle lining it on her forehead.**

**"You have to wake up," Ishtar whispered in Ghost's ear.**

She opened her eyes, sighing heavily at the still vivid dream. They didn't make much sense to her, even though it was weird that the Ishtar woman was rather constant. Pushing the thoughts to the back of her mind, she stirred and lifted her head from where it had been lying against Black Hat's back. He was fast asleep lying on his stomach, his arms around a pillow. She had an arm strewn over his back and a leg hooked over his waist, so that she lay slightly sideways against him. Peaking over his form at the digital clock, she saw that it was morning already and decided to start getting cleaned up and ready. Quietly, she shuffled out of the bed, opting to allow her mate more time of sleep.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, she ruffled her short hair and adjusted her camisole. Looking at her bed stand, she gazed briefly at the old photo she had found at Thomas' house, taking it in her hands and pressing a light kiss over it before placing it back where it was. Even though she had burned away her last memento along with Thomas' body those years ago, the photo stirred her buried emotions from her past. She felt a certain weakness by holding on to it, but either way she had allowed herself to keep this memory of her past, as a reminder of her mission. Besides, she had mused, it was thanks to Thomas that she had found safe shelter while they healed from the train wreck. She really didn't believe in spirits or souls, but she did believe that her brother had unconsciously given her a piece of information that would help her and Black Hat years later.

_'Thank you, brother.'_

Setting her thoughts aside, she searched the floor for her abandoned pants, standing up once she spotted them and picking them up, her gaze pointed downwards as she put on the garment. However, when she raised her head she almost let out a scream, her eyes going wide with alarm.

"Black- augh!" she managed to yell before the man that had been standing at the corner of the room appeared before her in less than a second, grabbing her by the neck and slamming her against the wall. Her horrified eyes were fixed on the burgundy almond eyes of the man that had easily overpowered her. She fought against him as best as she could but he had an overwhelming force that was drowning her own. Doing a quick inspection of his face she gasped when she recognized him as the man from the dream she just woke up from.

"Ghost!" she heard Black Hat yell almost instantly when she yelled, his expression contorting with both shock and fury as he practically leaped from the bed. He was almost at the man's back when a woman came out of nowhere, slammed her arm against Black Hat's bare chest and he fell hard onto the floor. All Ghost could see was the woman's back, brown curly hair drawn up into a ponytail. Said woman seemed to overpower Black Hat easily as well, her foot pressed against his face, holding him down.

"Easy now," the woman slurred as she cocked her head, staring down at the struggling Black Hat.

"Look at me, darling," the man spoke to Ghost, whom briefly shifted her gaze towards him as she continued fighting. He brought an arm around her then, pressing her against his body and trapping her arms in a one-armed embrace. With his other hand he held her jaw tightly and searched her yellow eyes. "Calm yourself, honey. That's right, look at me," he smirked as he caught her stare and held it.

Ghost grunted and growled as she tried to avert her eyes from those burgundy ones, but they seemed to hold her against her will. Suddenly, she began feeling inexplicably relaxed, her vision swooning and Black Hat's desperate protests sounding farther and farther away. Before she knew it, everything went black.

"Leave her!" Black Hat managed to growl through gritted teeth, holding the woman's foot and trying to push it off to no avail. He growled, the woman's smirk sickening him and wanting nothing more than to wipe it off her face. It baffled him, however, how these two could easily overpower them. What were they?

"Oh, relax, big boy," she laughed slightly and Black Hat's eyes widened when he saw fangs peaking through her mouth. "Your _piccolina_ is safe, he won't harm her."

"Quila, stop playing with him," the man said as he picked up the fainted Ghost bridal style. "I would like to get going...today."

"Yes, yes, whatever you say, boss," the woman rolled her eyes and in the blink of an eye was upon Black Hat, straddling him as she held his arms at either side of him. "Don't be afraid to look into these pretty eyes, _caro_."

Black Hat had tried to avoid her gaze but when she suddenly came down on him, her face immediately in his direct line of vision, it was almost inevitable to accidentally look into those vermilion eyes. It wasn't long before he dozed off to unconsciousness.

* * *

><p>"Why did you leave us?"<p>

Priest visibly tensed, stopping in his tracks but not turning to face his daughter. He had dreaded that question for a while now because he knew how difficult it would be to finally face it.

"Fine," he heard Lucy sigh from behind him. "Don't answer, I-"

"It was the most difficult decision of my entire life," he finally spoke, turning to face her before she stepped away from him. Her brow furrowed together and her mouth drew into a pout as she listened to him. "Please...Do not think it was easy; there wasn't a single day when I didn't think of you and your mother..."

Lucy took in a deep breath trying to keep her emotions at bay. "Then...Why? Why couldn't I know that my birth father was actually a war hero?" she asked, her voice trembling with anguish and bottled up anger; anger from having been lied to. "Why didn't you come back at least?"

"Lucy," Isaac shook his head sadly. "You needed to recognize someone as your father, it was best for you. And by all means, Owen may have been your biological uncle but he truly was your father in terms of upbringing...I would have come back but we weren't allowed, and...it didn't seem right."

Lucy scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She was really trying to keep herself calm because, truth be told, the emotions were too overwhelming. Still coping with the death of her mother and her uncle, the man who raised her really, facing her birth father wasn't the easiest task at the moment. "But why? Why choose Priesthood over your daughter and- Did you even love my mother?" Bewilderment grazed Lucy's features when the thought suddenly hit her.

Isaac frowned, visibly disturbed by the suggestion that he may not have loved Shannon. "It is because I love you and your mother that I decided to join Priesthood when they came to recruit me. I knew that they would continue to harass me to join, and so I did. I saw it as my way of protecting you and Shannon, the war was at its peak when you were born," he paused, sighing loudly as he searched his memories. "I never thought that I would be forbidden to leave the cities after the war was over...That they would keep us ostracized because they feared our power as much as they feared the vampires."

Lucy was slightly surprised at how talkative he was being about the situation. Even though she had known him for only a few weeks now, she had gathered from the other Priests and Priestesses that he was rather quiet, only saying what needed to be said. Somehow, she was beginning to see his point of view. From what she had heard from the other Priests, and from what Sarah had told her, they truly didn't live an easy life, particularly after the war. "How-" she paused suddenly, her voice wavering for a moment. "How did Black Hat find out about me?" She refused to call that monster by his human name.

Isaac sighed, his gaze adverting from hers for a moment. "I confided in him and Sarah about you and Shannon. Told them what I had to do when I left," Isaac scoffed before he continued. "In a rare moment, I even told them I would take them to meet you when the war was over...It was my glimmer of hope amongst all the chaos at that moment," he paused again, the smallest of smiles grazing his features for a moment, his gaze fixed upon the floor. "Lucas had insisted that he wanted to be your godfather since you didn't have one..." he raised his blue eyes to her surprised brown ones. "You may not believe it now but he truly was a good man when he was human."

Lucy was silent, not really knowing what to respond. She stepped back until she hit the wall behind her, holding her arms comfortingly around her torso. Avoiding Isaac's tortured gaze, she took several deep breaths to keep calm. It was almost impossible to believe how different her life could have turned out if Isaac had returned to them, and it was almost ironic that the monster that kidnapped her could have been part of her family. "So," she finally spoke, her voice barely a whisper. "What now?"

Isaac stepped forward, stopping before her and placing a comforting hand to her right shoulder. "If you would allow it, I would like to know you...I want to be here for you," he searched her gaze for approval.

Lucy broke down in tears then, not being able to contain her bottled up emotions. Isaac caught her in a tight and comforting embrace when she wrapped her arms around him desperately. "I miss them, so much," she sobbed into his chest. "Please...don't leave again..." She knew she sounded like a desperate child but she really, really didn't want him to leave her, even if their situation was anything but awkward, he was the only family she had left.

He rubbed her back sympathetically as tremors rocked through her. It absolutely broke his heart how she suffered, but he was determined to keep that promise for her. He wouldn't leave her again, the Church and the Clergy be damned, he would protect her and be the father that he never could be, even if she never recognized him as such. "I won't, that I can promise you...I'll never leave you again."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! The OCs I was talking about a few chaps ago make their first un-friendly appearance, so stay tuned for the next chap ;) Just in case anyone is wondering, Black Hat's look changed as of the last chapter, his hairstyle is now more similar to Kirill (I always loved Karl Urban's look in Bourne Supremacy 3). As always, reviews are greatly appreciated as well as constructive criticism :) Peace out!**  
><strong>


	14. In Limbo

************Warning:************ Kind of creepy dream sequence right at the beginning involving sex.************  
><strong>**********

************Disclaimer:** **********I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14: In Limbo<strong>

**She gyrated sensually against him, her hands holding his wrists down against the bed, hips grounding against him rapidly. Her mouth was agape as she moaned and groaned, her chest heaving and her breasts bouncing up and down with her movements. He let out a long groan, grinding his teeth while he lifted his hips to meet her as she brought herself down, sheathing his whole length. He wanted nothing more than to bring his hands to her body, to guide her as she collided and ground against him, to fondle and suckle her breasts, but she held him down with incredible force he didn't know she had. There was a dangerous dominance in her eyes and a devious smirk grazed her lush lips as she panted, licking her lips in hidden anticipation. **

**"My beautiful man," she whispered, baring her fangs in a devilish grin, her hands finally releasing his wrists and moving up to stroke his chest sensually. He was about to bring his hands up to touch her but found that he couldn't. Glancing back, he saw that heavy chains tied them against the bedpost. He looked back to her with confusion and worry only to see that she was chuckling, seemingly enjoying his imprisonment. "You are mine," she ground herself faster against him, their bodies slick with sweat as they neared their climaxes. "I won't share you...Won't share you with anyone..." she threw her head back in ecstasy as he growled in frustration, fighting with the chains as she continued sliding along his shaft, feeling her muscles begin to contract around him.**

**"Marion!" he snarled, throwing his head back when she moved faster and harder against him. His eyes grew wide when he opened them and saw her holding a dagger over her head, ready to strike.**

**"No one will have you!" she spat viciously and brought the dagger down into his heart.**

**Black Hat screamed at the top of his lungs when the blade tore into his heart, horrified that his mate was killing him. Suddenly, a hand came over his eyes and it dragged him backwards into an abyss, feeling his body freefall.**

**"That won't happen," an exotic voice spoke against his ear as he found himself lying against the ground, staring up into a white sky. "That is exactly what **_**she**_** wants you to believe."**

**"Who are you?" Black Hat frowned as he sat up, staring at the strange woman sitting next to him dressed in ancient robes. **

**"It is good to finally meet you," she smiled widely, baring fangs and looking at him gently with scarlet almond eyes. "You can call me Ishtar."**

**"Ishtar?" he repeated the name, finding familiarity in it, suddenly realizing why he recalled it. "Marion has spoken of you..."**

**Ishtar laughed lightly. "Of course she has, I have visited her on several occasions through her dreams. You, however," she pointed at him with a clawed finger. "You were harder for me contact, took you a while my dear man."**

**"Why?" he frowned, not even knowing what she meant exactly. She was just part of his dream, right?**

**"Because of her," Ishtar almost sighed before continuing. "You had been alone, for 6 years, and you grew to accept her and her ideas; you didn't doubt her, she was your savior. But then Marion came along and she was so different. A rebel forced by her life to be skeptical. An easier mind for me to access, though with some difficulty in the end."**

**He was silent for a moment, considering what she had told him. Understanding that she had referred to his life as a human-vampire before Marion came along, he replied, "The other **_**her**_** you speak of, is it the Queen?"**

**Ishtar smiled and nodded. "Yes. She wants to deviate you, to make you doubt Marion Aiello. She has a reach much similar to mine, though different in a way...We always had our differences."**

**"We?" Black Hat frowned. "You knew the Queen?"**

**Ishtar stood up, offering her hand out to him to help him to his feet. "Yes," she answered as he dismissed her hand and stood up himself. "Many, many centuries ago, in ancient times."**

**"Care to elaborate?" Black Hat raised an inquisitive eyebrow, staring down at the mysterious woman.**

**"My time is up for now," Ishtar raised a hand to his face, stroking his cheek softly. "You must go now, child."**

Black Hat woke with a gasp, his vision being met by a high ceiling. Realizing his head was lying back against a couch, he groaned, sitting up straight and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, not really taking the time to wonder where he was as of yet. Pushing the disturbing dream to the back of his mind, but still wondering about the last part of his dream, he almost didn't see the man sitting across from him.

"Ah, he's awake."

The unfamiliar voice snapped him out of his grogginess, head snapping up and eyes widening at what he saw. The man who had attacked Marion on their motel room was sitting in a couch across from him with his legs crossed and an arm thrown around his sleeping mate's shoulders. "You!" Black Hat spat viciously and was about to lunge at the bastard when, suddenly, he met the floor solidly face down, an iron like grip holding his arms behind him and knees digging into his back.

"Take it easy," a calm male voice instructed him from behind, his attacker speaking.

Black Hat, however, wasn't about to give up. He fought with all his might against the man that was somehow holding him down, his furious gaze fixed on the smirking man sitting at the couch beside _his_ woman.

"Good lord, man, will you relax," the man with the burgundy almond eyes spoke, patting Marion's shoulder as he shook his head in amusement. "I'm not doing anything to your girl, so will you take it down a notch and let's have a talk like civilized men."

"Civilized my ass!" Black Hat growled and managed to knock down the man on his back. The man cursed as he hit the floor, recovering quickly and facing the now standing Black Hat. The stranger was taller than Black Hat and had a strong build, his dark hair cropped very short, face cleanly shaven and his eyes were a vivid orange. The two of them engaged in combat, each moving blindingly fast as they each tried to land successful blows. Black Hat was barely keeping up, but his anger fueled him through and he managed to grab the other by his collar. His attacker wasn't idle, grabbing Black Hat's arms and digging his claws into his arms.

"Enough!"

A blur stepped between them, separating them and throwing them in opposite directions. Black Hat skidded on his back against the floor, rolling backwards back to his feet into an offensive position, facing the woman that had separated them, the very same woman that had assaulted him back in the motel room. The others didn't attack so he remained in his stance for a moment as he considered and digested the situation quickly. He was outnumbered 3 to 1, and seeing as they seemed to be very strong he held back, opting to analyze the situation. Seeing the similarities between these three strangers with himself and Ghost, Black Hat reached the only logical conclusion.

_'Human-vampires?'_

"We may have kidnapped you, big boy, but we're not going to hurt you," the woman with the curly brown hair spoke, holding out her hand before her and scowling at Black Hat. She was about to say something else when a groan snapped her out her train of thought.

All eyes turned to Ghost as she slowly woke up. Her face was turned to the man next to her and she squinted her eyes as her vision adjusted to the light in the room. In less than a second, her eyes widened at the smirking man and she let out a yelp, fist snapping out in reflex and catching him in the nose, a crunch accompanying the contact. The man grabbed his nose and Ghost jumped out of the couch, darting in a blur to Black Hat's side. The two of them stood side by side in alert, their eyes carefully scouting the three strangers before them.

"Are you like us?" Black Hat finally asked, his tone and expression grave, surveying the man that had been sitting with Ghost as he stood up, still holding his broken nose. "Human-vampires?"

Ghost raised an eyebrow, side glancing at Black Hat before realizing why her mate had come to that conclusion. With the exception of the eye color, these strangers bore fangs and claws like them, besides their palpable power.

The man with the burgundy almond eyes cracked his nose back into place and chuckled. "Well aren't you observant. Though technically the two of you are like us, not the other way around 'cause you're the younglings amongst us," he answered whilst cleaning the blood that had dripped from his broken nose.

"Whoa," Ghost held up a hand quickly, her brow furrowed as she tried to digest the situation; first, these bastards had kidnapped them, and second, suddenly she is being told that there are more human-vampires. "What the fuck! Would you at least mind telling us what the hell is going on? Why were we assaulted and kidnapped, and who the bloody fuck are you?"

The curly haired woman sighed audibly before walking to the couch Black Hat had been lying on and took a seat herself. The man that had subdued Black Hat when he woke up rolled his eyes and took a seat next to the woman, throwing his arms over the back of the couch.

"Take it easy, darling," the burgundy eyed man smirked at Ghost's barrage of questions, opting to remain standing to face the couple. Black Hat growled at the man's casual use of a pet name on his mate, at which the man chuckled. "Don't worry, I mean no ill. I wholly respect a mating bond."

Black Hat and Ghost faced each other briefly with quirked eyebrows before turning back to scowl at the man.

"Will you two relax?" the curly haired woman said with evident exasperation. "If its so fucking pressing, we had to take you both into custody, you're not what we call _discrete_ in hiding in plain sight. And besides, you stepped into our turf."

"Forgive my friend, she is rather impatient," the burgundy eyed man snickered as the woman flipped him the bird. "Though she is perfectly correct. Now, first things first, my name is Joon-Baek," he introduced himself and looked expectantly at both Ghost and Black Hat. Ghost felt Black Hat tense behind her but ignored it.

"Ghost," she meekly answered, no evident enthusiasm in her voice.

"Come on, I told you my real name, it's not like we're the Church and we'll check into your profiles," Joon-Baek replied, honesty in his voice.

Ghost sighed audibly, glancing briefly at a scowling Black Hat whom just shrugged and gave her a look that just said 'Fuck it'. Turning back to Joon-Baek she answered, "Marion."

"Lovely name," he complimented before turning to Black Hat with an inquisitive look.

Black Hat tensed, eyeing him suspiciously. Ghost turned to him and urged him with her eyes to just get it over with. "Black H-" he began, cutting himself short when he suddenly remembered that there was no point to being Black Hat anymore if his trademark was lost, opting instead to cut his alias in half. "Black. My real name is Lucas."

"Pleasure," Joon-Baek replied, stepping back to introduce his companions. "My old friend, Nicoletta," Nicoletta did a mock salute. "And her mate, Julian," Julian nodded his head in acknowledgement.

_'I've seen them before...in my dreams,'_ Ghost thought with wonder when she recognized Joon-Baek and Nicoletta from her last dream where Ishtar was present. _'These are the people Ishtar spoke of then.' _She almost couldn't believe it, it seemed too surreal for her the possibility of having had revelations through her dreams.

"Now, why don't you two take a seat before I continue explaining," Joon-Baek offered the free couch in the large living room they were at before he walked through an arch that led into what seemed like a small kitchen. Black and Ghost hesitated but opted to just sit for the moment, though they couldn't help but stay alert. After all, in a short span of time they had discovered that they weren't the only human-vampires. Now they wanted to know what the whole deal with this 'turf' was and why they were taken into 'custody'. Black brought an arm protectively around Ghost's shoulders, holding her close against his side. Joon-Baek stepped back into the room, holding two small plastic bags in his hands, the containers filled with a dark-red fluid. "Here," he threw the bags at Black and Ghost, which they promptly caught before inspecting them curiously.

"Well don't stare at them," Nicoletta spoke with a quirked eyebrow, amused by the couple's curiosity. "Drink, its just blood."

"Cloned blood," Joon-Baek added, sitting in a chair that was between the two couches. "It's perfectly safe, trust me. Humans stopped using the technology long ago but we saved it for our benefit. We keep it as an extra."

"I'm getting tired of this stalling," Black growled, growing exasperated by the second and just wanting answers. He stood up in a flash, his angry yellow eyes staring down Joon-Baek while Ghost held him back by his arms, a worried look in her expression; she had experienced the strength of this man, Joon-Baek, and she wasn't just about to let Black do something stupid and impulsive. "I have no reason to trust you, so give me fucking answers."

"Luc-" Ghost began but was cut off by Nicoletta.

"You will do well to respect my maker, fallen Priest," Nicoletta got to her feet in a blur, snarling and baring her fangs at Black. "I will rip-"

"Quila!" Joon-Baek turned his calm gaze to the tall woman, whom snapped out of her glaring contest with Black and sighed, sitting back down beside Julian. Joon-Baek turned his attention back to Black. "You want straight answers, I'll give you the simplest I can offer. The fact of the matter is that you pretty couple of Wastelanders -though I suspect you have a past in the cities-," he signaled to Black's cross tattoo on his forehead before continuing. "You two have stepped into _my_ territory; Pagoda City is under my coven's watch. As such, it is my coven's responsibility that our species remains secret, meaning that we mustn't be obvious when walking in plain sight amongst the humans, _our_ food source of course," he pointed a reprimanding finger at both Black and Ghost. "Now, that's where you two were sort of screwing up. You see, these last two weeks or so the humans have been particularly unsettled by a most peculiar event. A Priest and Priestess exploded a train full of neo-vampires just outside the city walls. The coven of Cathedral City has informed me that said Priest brought in the evidence that neo-vampires almost made it through the wall and, even though the Clergy is vehemently denying any menace from neo-vampires because of the truce, the witnesses were there and word travels fast. In effect, the humans are more watchful and careful now, and you two," Joon-Baek stood up then, facing Black and gazing at Ghost from where she was now standing slightly behind him, both of their expressions consternated. "You two were drawing a bit too much attention to yourselves, so I had no choice but to take you into safe custody. I couldn't risk exposure; once they recognize our peculiar features they'll have them etched in their psyches. Besides, as Head of the Pagoda Coven, I need to make sure that any vampire in my jurisdiction is properly informed and doesn't do anything risky as to expose us. And since it seems you two are outsiders, it is my responsibility that you are enlightened about our system. In other words, I am only doing my job to ensure the survival of our species."

"Neo-vampires?" Ghost raised an eyebrow at the strange name for vampires.

"Humans simply call them vampires, but I'll explain that later," Joon-Baek dismissed the vocabulary lesson before a devious smirk grazed his lips. "I'm more interested now as to why the two of you look so shocked," he carefully studied Black and Ghost's perturbed expressions. "I wonder; did you two have anything to do with the train incident?"

"What if we did?" Ghost defiantly challenged the burgundy-eyed human-vampire, to which Black glanced briefly at her with a bewildered expression, bothered that she had basically thrown them into the spotlight.

"Nothing, darling," Joon-Baek smiled at Ghost and Black growled once again at the pet name. "Look. I'm not stupid, I've lived through enough centuries of bullshit, and I can read expressions _and_ micro expressions with my eyes closed. I know that you two orchestrated this failed train infiltration. And really, there's no trouble for you, but," he paused briefly, his features turning serious. "If you would have succeeded in bringing that horde of neo-vampires into the cities...then there really would have been trouble and you would have basically forced us out of our hiding just to stop the imminent chaos that you would have provoked."

"Why?" Black frowned, not really understanding Joon-Baek's line of thought. "Aren't they your kin as well?"

Joon-Baek sighed before answering. "Figures that your maker is a Queen," he remarked. "Neo-vampires kill without much thought; they only work in following orders. If you just let them loose and rampant on a place like the cities, where there is an eternal night, they kill any human in their path. They are never satisfied; they will kill and feed even when they aren't hungry. In other words my friends, you bring the humans, the species from which _we_ feed to nigh extinction, thus bringing us as well to extinction. Apart from the Wastelands, this is one of the last bastions of the human race, it wouldn't be fair to keep pushing them towards the line of decimation," Joon-Baek turned his back on the shocked couple, walking up to a small window that overlooked the city below. "You see, we really mean no harm. In fact, I will pose no objection to offering safe haven for you lot; I do, after all, look after _my _kind. I do not know what your personal mission is here in the cities but I will tell you that if it involves wiping out our food source I will stop you, both, personally. Believe me when I say this my friends: I am a very strong vampire, killing younglings like yourselves would be nothing."

Black and Ghost remained silent, neither knowing what to say or ask. They realized that this could be an obstacle to their mission, and they recognized that these human-vampires were truly strong, having been able to subdue them with barely breaking a sweat. Ghost, however, had the itching nag to inquire on Ishtar. After all, she had seen them in her dreams even before meeting them. She was now sure these people were the 'them' Ishtar constantly referred to; she just didn't know yet the real purpose for meeting them. It truly was a shocking revelation though, to discover that there were others like her and Black.

"May I ask something?" Ghost asked, stepping around Black whom promptly put a cautious hand to her upper arm just in case she tried something crazy.

"You needn't ask for permission, darling, I'm not a tyrant," Joon-Baek turned to face her with a friendly smile.

Clearing her throat she asked, "Does the name Ishtar mean anything to you?" Black gave her a weird look as Nicoletta sat forward in her seat, a frown forming on her expression.

Joon-Baek's expression changed completely, his brow furrowing together. "Where did you hear that name?"

Ghost hesitated for a moment, suddenly feeling like the white elephant in the room. "She...She told me," she sighed, knowing she was going to sound crazy. "In my-"

"In your dreams," Joon-Baek finished for her and both Ghost looked at him in slight wonder. "She manifests herself through dreams, it wouldn't be the first time. Though it's been a long time since it last happened."

"Who is she?" Ghost inquired.

Joon-Baek was about to answer when the door to the large apartment was flung open, Ghost and Black being the only ones to turn their attention to whom was walking in.

"I'm home, bitches," a young woman with black-layered hair and wearing a black beanie on her head walked in, slamming the door shut behind her before walking towards the living room where everyone else was. Bright, yellow eyes contrasted against her dark hair and her mostly black clothes.

"Ah, Jo, just in time to meet our guests," Joon-Baek extended his arm towards the young woman, whom Ghost figured must have been around 18 years old or so.

She pouted while she walked up to Joon-Baek's side, ignoring the 'guests' in the room. "You could have told me you were going to have people over, JB," Jo crossed her arms over her chest, scowling at Joon-Baek. "Old fart."

"Joanna," Joon-Baek presented Jo to Black and Ghost. "These are Marion and Lucas, be nice."

Jo lifted her gaze towards strangers, surveying Ghost first before turning to Black. Her eyes widened when she inspected Black's face, it was as if she was seeing a spirit or someone she hadn't seen in a long time. "Umm...hi," she deadpanned, shock evident in her eyes. "I'm going to crash for the day...," she announced before leaving the room, running up the stairs beside the entrance to the living room in a blur.

"You know her?" Ghost turned to her mate, her expression inquisitive with a quirked eyebrow. She also recognized the girl from her last dream with Ishtar; she had been the one that oozed familiarity to her.

"Never seen her in my life," Black muttered, seeming just as perplexed as the others at Jo's actions.

"It looked like she saw ghost," Julian snickered, his orange eyes filled with amusement, moving forward to rest his arms against his knees. "Hey, maybe she's scared of ex-Priests, eh?" he remarked, pointing with his nose at Black, whom promptly scowled at him.

"I wonder what's up with her," Nicoletta stood up, her expression worried almost in a motherly way.

"Give her space, Quila, she'll probably tell you later," Joon-Baek quickly dismissed the situation. "Now, why don't you be a love and get our guests some fresh clothes and prepare a room for them."

Nicoletta scoffed, shaking her head in annoyance. "_Bastardo, sempre mi dice cosa fare. Idiota..._" she cussed under her breath in a language unfamiliar to Black and Ghost. Turning her attention to Black and Ghost, she surveyed their bodies quickly before leaving the room, Julian following suit after his mate.

"You haven't touched your blood, please," Joon-Baek urged them to drink from the blood packets, crossing his arms over his chest as he lied against the wall behind him.

Black hesitated, staring at the blood packet in his hand as if it were a death trap. Ghost, on the other hand, unscrewed the cap in annoyance and brought the bag's opening up to her lips. Before she could even take a drink Black snatched the packet from her hands, receiving a baffled stare from Ghost. He promptly ignored her glare, his expression grave as he took a sip from her packet.

_'Oh great, now I'm being overprotected,'_ Ghost mused in annoyance. She had nothing against being protected, she protected him too after all, but she certainly had no need for the damsel in distress bullshit.

"Well?" Joon-Baek smirked, seeing as Black became bemused.

He hated to admit it but the blood actually tasted just as well as the real thing. "It's safe," he said, placing the closed packet on Ghost's hands.

She raised an eyebrow at him but shook her head, dismissing his overprotection and taking a drink herself. Almost disbelieving, she was surprised that it actually tasted genuine. "You make this with salvaged technology?" she asked as she took a seat, drinking the rest of the packet.

Joon-Baek nodded. "Humans used it a lot but when they retreated into the cities and the Church took control it fell into disuse. We just took advantage and salvaged it for ourselves, as a just in case."

"How long have you been a human-vampire?" Black seemed suddenly interested, taking a seat beside his mate. Now that they were more relaxed and he was sure that no harm was being brought to either Ghost or himself, he was now curious as to knowing more about these other human-vampires, the discovery that there others only intriguing him.

"Human-vampire? Is that what you call our kind?" Joon-Baek chuckled in amusement, Black and Ghost staring at him weirdly. "Well, whatever, it doesn't matter right now. I've been a vampire for, let's see, somewhere around 2,000 years."

The couple stared at him with surprised eyes, apparently disbelieving of his age.

"2,000 years?" Ghost managed to mutter, staring at the human-vampire sitting across from them, whom looked no older than his early thirties.

"Eh, yeah, if I was born on the year 223 and my math still works, then yes," Joon-Baek shrugged, leaning comfortably against the wall behind him. "Now, I believe I was telling you about Ishtar before we got interrupted, right?"

Ghost nodded instantly, recalling that the conversation had certainly been interrupted.

"Ishtar is by all means one of the first vampires," Joon-Baek declared. "You asked, it's up to you if you believe me or not," he added when he received disbelieving and surprised stares from Black and Ghost.

Black shook his head, bringing a hand to rub his temple in frustration. "Wait, you're telling me that human-vampires originated first?"

Joon-Baek chuckled audibly, receiving an irritated glare from Black. "That's what humans were always led to believe. We, the original vampires, have always been hiding from human eyes. We don't really like the attention. It's safer for the survival; humans don't hunt us, and we don't kill them unnecessarily for hunting us."

"Forget this shit, maybe it's just a coincidence that I dreamt of a woman with the same name as this vampire progenitor," Ghost argued, even though she knew that it was too precise that she had seen Joon-Baek in her dreams, that Ishtar had revealed these human-vampires to her before she even met them. Still, she didn't know why. Was she somehow leading her, urging her to trust in these people?

"Scarlet almond-eyes, black and straight long hair, slightly tanned skin, tall and slender with flowing robes," Joon-Baek threw in Ishtar's physical description, grinning in satisfaction when Ghost glanced at him in disbelief and being pretty sure that he saw Black let slip some sort of reaction. "I can tell by your expression that we are certainly talking of the same Ishtar."

"Still," Ghost let out a tired sigh. "Why me? I-" she cut herself off, deciding against telling him about seeing him, Nicoletta and Joanna in her last dream. "It just doesn't make sense."

"I can't answer that for you, though I would love to," Joo-Baek confessed. "I'm old but I don't know everything and Ishtar is certainly a mystery to us sometimes," he paused, raising his gaze to look at Nicoletta whom was standing at the base of the stairs.

"Room's ready," she deadpanned, throwing a pointed look towards Black and Ghost before turning to Joon-Baek with a bored glance. "You got a call from the Palazzo Coven, they need to speak with you. Now."

Joon-Baek pushed himself off the wall and walked up to the base of the stairs, turning to face Black and Ghost before leaving them. "Please, enjoy your stay while you sort out your thoughts. We'll continue our conversation later; I have other matters to attend to."

* * *

><p>"Here it is," Nicoletta opened the door, stepping into the room with Ghost and Black following behind her. They were rather surprised that it was such a large room considering it was just a guest room, but then again they had discovered that the place was actually a rather large, two story loft. "You have a bathroom over there. I put some clothes on the closet, I just hope they fit; my eyes are pretty good at measuring <em>proportions<em>."

Ghost walked up to the window, moving the curtain aside and peering out at the dark city that loomed below them. Feeling Black's hand against her lower back, she glanced at him, observing that he was still bothered by the whole situation, before turning to Nicoletta, nodding her head in thanks at the tall woman. "Thank you."

"Whatever, _bella,_ thank Joon, he's the one who's a doll around here," Nicoletta scoffed, smirking as she stepped back towards the door. "Oh and-" she paused, turning to them with a playful grin. "If you're going to have _fun_, please, don't be too loud," she winked at them, laughing at their suddenly flustered faces and closing the door.

"Creep," Ghost muttered under her breath before turning to stare out the window again. _'Damn it all...this whole situation is so fucked up.'_ She could feel Black's tension just seeping out of him in waves, the hand against her lower back tensing and flexing. Turning to him, she placed a hand over his bicep, the contact having him turn his gaze from peering out at the city towards her. His brow was furrowed with consternation, his jaw set with pent up tension, and his eyes were visibly troubled. "Lucas," she whispered, holding his gaze while she ran her hand up and down his upper arm, feeling his muscles twitch under her touch. She opened her mouth again to speak but came up short, not really knowing where to start. For 4 years they had believed they were the only human-vampires in existence, and suddenly it turns out that there are more.

"Mar," he used the rare nickname he had given her, closing his eyes briefly in deep thought. "This...This changes everything," he let out a deep breath, nostrils flaring as he tried to calm himself. His hand tightened against her lower back, bringing her closer to him. He was thankful that she was there to calm him, stroking her hands softly along his arms, her eyes sympathetic and understanding. "For the first time in a very long time I don't know what I should do...My loyalties to you remain untouched but," he paused, bringing his other hand up to his face in frustration before running it along his short-cropped hair. "I am doubting my loyalty to the Queen, I...I never thought that would be possible."

"Luc, please," she brought her hands up to his face, stroking his cheeks with her thumb and catching his troubled gaze. "You need time to think, as do I. You don't have to question your loyalty-"

"I do," he interceded, his tone stern. "I never said anything, but I began questioning it when she first threatened you, although indirectly," he paused, taking her hands from his face and holding them in both of his, looking into her distressed eyes. "The Queen _lied_ to us, Marion, she told us there were no other human-vampires. Made us believe it," he said, disgust evident in his tone.

Ghost dwelled on the thought but looked at him with slight confusion. "Maybe she didn't know."

"Bullshit!" he growled through gritted teeth. "They knew about her, and she doesn't know about them?" he threw the thought at Ghost, instantly observing how her expression became consternated when she considered the thought. "Marion, she must know. You heard how old that Joon-Baek is, the Queen is probably very old as well for all we know, she is the only one of the Queens that hasn't been destroyed, the last one that kept a hive alive. Look, forget my past praises for the Queen, it's time to be you, to be the rebel and skeptic that you are," he urged her, giving her hands a reassuring squeeze. He felt sorry that he had influenced her thoughts towards the Queen for as long as they had been together, but they were both fooled in the end.

"I...I need time to sort my thoughts, I still don't know what I should think," Ghost confessed. She hesitated for a moment, deciding on telling Black about her last dream. "Luc, I saw them before, in my last dream just before we were kidnapped."

His brow furrowed in confusion as he stared down at her. "What do you mean?"

"Joon-Baek, Nicoletta, and Joanna. I saw them in my last dream with Ishtar," she said through gritted teeth in frustration, frustration that was directed at herself. "I don't understand what this implies and it fucking pisses me off," she let out an irritated growl, letting her head fall forward against Black's chest.

"Mar," Black spoke softly, releasing her hands and bringing his arms around her small frame. "I saw her. She came to me in my last dream."

She tensed for a moment under his embrace before raising her gaze to meet his, her eyes wide with surprise. "Ishtar?" He nodded in response to her question. Relief washed over her then, Black's confession adding to the comfort that perhaps she really wasn't crazy after all. She was about to ask him what it was that she had told him but her emotions from the current events suddenly overwhelmed her. Bloody tears began escaping her eyes as her face contorted, trying to hold back the tears and the sobs that were building up. "Damn it all!" she growled, bringing the palm of her hands to her eyes to rub off the tears.

Black, however, was quick to notice her sudden distress and held her tight against his body, caressing a hand over her short hair as she cried into his chest. He understood her confusion and frustration, so he held her, offered her his support and allowed her to let out her pent up emotions. Kissing the top of her head as her arms snaked around his torso, holding on tight to his back, he dwelled on his newfound conflict; a conflict that was similar to one that presented itself to him when he had been transformed into a human-vampire. Betrayal. For the second time in his life he felt like he was being betrayed, this time by the Queen. He still didn't have all the answers he needed, but the threat against Ghost and the revelation about the other human-vampires made him seriously doubt his Queen, even if she had given him and his mate new life. Maybe the revelations in Ghost's dreams meant that they could trust these human-vampires, he mused, but he wasn't sure; that was an answer he couldn't yet form.

_'Things really aren't black and white after all,' he_ mused. _'There are a lot of gray areas in between.'_ The Church had proven to him how corrupted they were, although it took a transformation for him to realize that, and now the Queen seemed to be nothing more than a puppet master, using them and lying to them to do her bidding. Of course she would rather use them to lead her armies; she played with their hatred towards the Church and manipulated them to comply with her wishes. It only made sense that using the more intelligent and stronger species would be more beneficial for her armies. _'Maybe they are just two sides to the same coin,'_ he reflected on where the Church and the Queen actually stood.

After a while he felt Ghost relax under his embrace, the only tremors being from the hiccups as she controlled her sobbing. "Come on," he pulled back slightly, lifting her chin to look into her blood shot eyes, her cheeks stained with blood. "Let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yay for proper introductions (lol I'm so lame :p)! I hope no one minds (a lot) that I cut BH's name in half by calling him just 'Black', but really the epic hat is lost so I figured he was due for an alias change. Still, it was Ghost's original nickname for BH. Soooo you may notice some Italian thrown in there, so I added a bit of translation at the end of this note, there may be some errors though, my Italian is super super basic :p Just a fun fact, Joon-Baek is heavily inspired by Kim Min-Jun (hot!) from the Korean drama 'Damo:The Legendary Police Woman' (I cried like a baby at the end of that friggin' series ;-;). Hope you guys are liking this crazy plot. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated as well as constructive criticism :) Peace out!_**  
><strong>_

_-bella_: beautiful

_-Bastardo, sempre mi dice cosa fare. Idiota_: Bastard, always tells me what to do. Idiot.


	15. The Queen and her King

**************Disclaimer:** ************I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 15: The Queen and her King<strong>

She was soundly asleep, resting on her back with an arm over her midsection and the other over her head. He had been lying awake beside her since she fell asleep. He tried to at least get some rest, but he was so restless with the whole situation he just couldn't get a shuteye. Bringing a hand up to her chest, he traced an old scar over the left side of her collarbone from her human days, watching as she twitched and shifted slightly under his touch, turning her head sideways in her sleep to face him. At least he was glad that he had managed to calm her and lull her to sleep. Propping himself on his hands, he towered over small frame, dipping down to kiss her cheek softly.

"I'm going to have a look around this place," he whispered softly and got off the bed.

She stirred and let out a breath, muttering something he didn't quite get under her breath. He was about to leave when he noticed a slight shiver run through her body and her nipples become pert under the camisole that fit a bit too small around her chest (to which he was secretly thankful to Nicoletta for getting the size wrong). However, he opted to leave his dirty musing aside and brought the bed sheet over her torso, tucking her in. Her shivers subsided and she snuggled into the warmth of the sheets, a content sigh escaping her lips. He smirked, running a hand through her short hair before stepping back to look for some pants. Settling for some loose fitting black cargo pants and a long-sleeved black shirt, he stepped to the door, opening and closing it quietly before going out into the empty hallway.

He wandered aimlessly down the dark hallway, passing several closed doors until he reached the end of the hallway where there was spiral staircase leading to a third floor. Looking back to see if someone was following, he turned back around and began ascending the stairs. He saw a dim light as he neared the top of the stairwell that led straight into an ample room, no door or hallway dividing it from the staircase. Just as he stepped into the room he noticed that it was a library; the walls adorned up to the high ceiling with bookcases, a large globe of the Earth was right in the middle of the room, along with a large desk and several couches and chairs.

"Can't sleep?"

Black turned sideways at the sound of the voice and saw that it was Joon-Baek, sitting comfortably on a large cushioned chair with a notebook in his hands, scribbling on it. The older human-vampire glanced briefly at the taller man standing at the arch of the room before returning to what he was doing. Black gave him a cautious look, stepping into the room when suddenly he felt something warm and fuzzy walking between his legs.

"Oh, I see you've met Bob," Joon-Baek glanced up just as Black stepped back to look at the black and white cat rubbing itself against his legs. "Bob meet- I'm not sure what you prefer to be called."

Black thought about it for a moment and decided to just damn it all, it wasn't like he was trying to hide his identity from the Church or the Priests at the moment. "I don't really care."

Joon-Baek scoffed before continuing, "Bob meet Lucas," he said with amusement. "Please, feel free to look around."

Black considered the offer before nodding his head at Joon-Baek and walking forward to have a look around, the cat following him for some reason. He was just beginning to sort through different books when he heard Joon-Baek stand up, glancing around just as the shorter man walked towards him with something that seemed like a card in his hands.

"I think this is your mate's," he presented Black with the object and he instantly recognized it as Ghost's salvaged family photo. "It seemed important to her, it only seemed right that I didn't leave that behind."

Black took the photo almost instantly; glancing at it to make sure it was all right before looking at Joon-Baek. "You don't know the wrath you could have invoked if she didn't find this," he waved the photo in the other man's face before tucking in away in one of his pant's pockets. "She really wouldn't care how strong you were."

Joon-Baek chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tough gal, eh? She does seem like the kind to attack without a care."

This comment made Black recall the day he met Ghost, because that was exactly what she did; attack without a care, ready to die. If she hadn't he probably would have never met her. It seemed like such a long time ago. Suddenly he realized he had spaced off, Joon-Baek's voice snapping him out of it but not actually understanding what he said.

"What?"

"I said that I was sorry if I pissed you off earlier, my friend," Joon-Baek repeated. "For calling your mate 'darling'."

Black couldn't contain the low growl that built up in his chest, setting his jaw and scowling at the other man. "A bit of respect would be appreciated," Black said in a low voice, walking up to the large Earth globe to inspect it, realizing it was rather old, the shape of the continents seeming to be from the 21st century or earlier. "I don't care how old you are."

"No need for jealousy though," Joon-Baek smirked with a quirked eyebrow, turning to face Black. "I may be old but sometimes I can't help being quirky, it's just who I am, you can just ask Nicoletta," he stepped up to the globe, standing opposite of Black. "Besides, she truly loves you. I can tell by the way she looks at you; the eyes never lie."

Black raised an eyebrow, not really having expected this man to be so laidback towards the situation, more less remarking on how he saw love for him in Ghost's eyes. Letting out a sigh, he said, "I never said I was jealous, but forget that," Black waved his hand dismissively; he didn't want to get irritated with stupid talks of jealousy. "I want to know more about our kind, human-vampires or vampires, whatever you call us. First, I remember you called Ghost and I younglings, why?"

"Oh, that's easy," Joon-Baek smirked, pointing at his almond-shaped burgundy eyes. "The eye color is always the dead give away. Young vampires have yellow shades, as you get older, particularly around 100 years of age or so, they start to turn orange, and around 500 years of age they begin to change to a red shade. I think with that info you can guess who are the older and younger ones amongst us."

Black nodded in understanding, remembering Julian and Joanna's eyes, which were orange and yellow, respectively, while Joon-Baek and Nicoletta's were red shades. "Nicoletta called you her 'maker' earlier...What did she mean?" Black had really wondered about that since it was something alien to his ears.

"Well, I transformed her into a vampire," Joon-Baek replied instantly, tracing over an ancient country on the globe. "Seems only like yesterday I found her."

Black wasn't interested at all in his little nostalgia moment and how he came across Nicoletta, he was more interested as to how he _made_ another human-vampire. Up until now he had thought that only the Queen was able to do that. "How?"

"How what?"

"How do you do it?" Black specified.

"Same way that the Queen did it with you, basically," Joon-Baek began, raising his gaze towards Black. "Drink some blood from the person you want to transform and then feed them your blood. The only variation with Queens has always been that they don't necessarily drink the blood of the humans they transform, hardly ever."

Black raised an eyebrow, realizing that had he known this he probably could have transformed Ghost himself or even forced Priest to be transformed.

"I know what you're thinking and the answer is 'no'," Joon-Baek stated when he saw Black's thoughtful expression, as if he were considering something. Black scowled at Joon-Baek for his assumption before he continued. "Not every human can tolerate the change."

"How do you know which ones can tolerate it then?" He remembered that the Queen had inspected Ghost when she was dying back when he found her, and he wondered if the Queen was searching for something in specific.

"At first, it's really just a wild guess. Usually you can tell by an individual's strength and will," Joon-Baek placed his hand fully against the globe before giving it a spin. "It is only when you get older that you are able to feel aural energy, or spiritual energy, call it what you may. The stronger the energy of a human the more probable that he or she may tolerate the change."

Black was silent then, considering what he wanted to know next. His thoughts, however, were interrupted when he heard someone walk in. They both turned their gazes towards the entrance of the library to see that it was Julian, crossing the room casually to sit on a couch.

"Trouble in paradise?" Joon-Baek asked Julian, who shook his head in response.

"Nah, Joanna is being a royal pain in the ass," he explained while he called Bob with his hand, petting the cat when it jumped onto his lap. Julian turned his gaze to Black then, raising an inquisitive eyebrow. "I don't know why she's so spooked with you, but it's really bothering her enough that she only wants to talk with Quila about it."

"You're sure you don't know Joanna?" Joon-Baek inquired as Black crossed his arms over his chest.

"I'm sure," Black replied with irritation.

"Huh," Julian frowned in thought while he continued petting the cat on his lap. "Well, we'll know eventually. Let them have their girl time for now."

Black dismissed the situation, turning back to Joon-Baek to ask him something that had nagged him since he heard him say it.

"You mentioned before that human-vampires came before the other vampires," Black began standing before the desk that Joon-Baek was currently sitting at. "Care to explain?"

"This is me all over again," Julian muttered under his breath, his gaze set on the cat. Black, however, heard him and glowered at him.

"Julian is a Queen fledging as well," Joon-Baek explained when he saw Black's confused expression. "He, like Marion and yourself, was led to believe that neo-vampires are the original vampires. You see, I told you that Ishtar was one of the first vampires, and to that I should add that she had a twin sister, Isis-"

"What does this bedtime story have to do with what I asked?" Black interrupted with evident irritation.

"Everything actually, be patient," Joon-Baek scoffed before he continued. "As I was saying, Ishtar and Isis, though physically identical, had completely contradicting interests and points of view. They were once practically inseparable, even going as far as allowing the early humans to worship them as goddesses for some time, but Isis eventually grew restless. She craved the power and the adoration, she wanted to rule over the humans, she wanted more power, to rise beyond what any vampire had reached during her time," Joon-Baek paused briefly, a frown grazing his features. "The twins grew distant as Isis' thirst for power grew more and more, Ishtar and the other elder vampires keeping an eye on her. But she managed to fool them, pretending to let up her power thirst for centuries. Isis struck a deal with a demon she was close to, a demon that would grant her more power. But to acquire more power," he raised his gaze, a dangerous glint to his burgundy eyes. "An equal sacrifice was required, someone on the same level as Isis."

By now Black had caught up and managed to connect the dots, his brow furrowing. "Ishtar was the sacrifice."

Joon-Baek nodded. "The demon performed the ritual for Isis, allowing her to absorb Ishtar's spirit and power. However, she fooled the demon as well, absorbing his power in the process of the ritual, transforming her into a monster, the first neo-vampire. From that point on she was known as the Empress, and she created the first Queens and Kings using other human-vampires, in particular her own fledglings and fellow elder vampires."

"Kings?" Black Hat repeated, a frown forming on his brow.

"Yeah, how do you think the Queens are able to breed like hamsters," Julian interceded. "They only use them once, then it's so long motherfucker. One good monster-fuck and it's a done deal; the Queen continues to breed without her King."

"Few have actually seen Kings, they don't last," Joon-Baek stated.

Black was quick to understand what they meant. "The Queens kill them after they mate."

Joon-Baek nodded. "They drink them dry afterwards; with the Kings' blood the Queens become stronger and it allows them to keep breeding," he paused and signaled with his head towards Julian. "Julian was a King candidate when Quila came across him. The Queen that made him planned to take him before the Empress as soon as he managed to find a suitable mate-"

"But I found Nicoletta Aquila first," Julian finished for Joon-Baek, a small smile grazing his lips. "Pissed the fuck outta' that Queen, but I learned the truth, just as you are now...fellow ex-King."

Black glanced at Julian with perplexed eyes, scowling at what he had been called. It suddenly hit him like a freight train, his yellow eyes widening in realization, mortified, turning to Joon-Baek and asking him a silent question with his eyes.

"Yes," Joon-Baek replied flatly, his expression serious. "Just as I figure you are now a former King candidate, I'm afraid that Marion _was_ a Queen candidate."

* * *

><p>Sighing contentedly in her sleep, she shifted and turned to her side, her arm reaching out for her mate only to come up empty. Groaning, her eyes fluttered open and she sat, glancing around the room to see that Black wasn't around.<p>

_'He must have gone for a walk,'_ she concluded, seeing that there weren't any signs of trouble or of a struggle.

Getting out of bed, she quickly got dressed, throwing on a simple white tank shirt and loose dark pants. Stepping out into the dark hallway, she walked barefooted, stepping softly so as to not draw any attention to herself, thinking that the others might have been resting. So when she felt someone approaching behind her she wiped around with a startle.

"Hey, easy." It was Nicoletta and she held her arms up in surrender as Ghost let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry, I shouldn't have been so sneaky, _bella_."

Ghost nodded. "It's fine. I'm just looking for my husband, he's missing."

Nicoletta smirked and let out a small laugh of amusement. "Oh leave him. He's upstairs in the library talking with Joon."

"You have a library?" Ghost seemed suddenly interested, her expression instantly becoming livelier.

"You like books?" Nicoletta asked to which Ghost nodded. "You can look around the library later. How about we have some girl time, eh?"

Ghost raised an eyebrow, not only flabbergasted by the situation but by how friendly the tall woman suddenly seemed.

"What? Look if it's because of yesterday, I'm sorry, _bella_," Nicoletta offered her a half-smile and shrugged slightly. "I can be a bit of a bitch at times and I have no shame in admitting it. I assure you, however, that I mean no harm. Come on, when's the last time you _actually_ had a conversation with another female?"

Ghost wondered about it for a moment and was about to answer when she recalled that hostages didn't really count. "Umm, when I was a teenager, I guess," she meekly answered, realizing she hadn't had a friend of the same sex for years now, ever since her brother was taken from her family.

"Ah, well come on then," Nicoletta urged her, taking her by the upper arm and pulling her, having her walk along with her. "It's healthy sometimes to not be surrounded by so many dicks, and I do mean that in the anatomical sense, one can always use a break from it."

Ghost couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the woman's snarky comment. Nicoletta led her to a room where the other female in the group, Joanna, sat cross-legged on a single bed. Joanna looked up from a strange piece of technology she held in her hands, shaped almost like a book, and scowled at Nicoletta.

"Don't look so offended, _piccina_," Nicoletta walked to the bed, sitting next to the younger woman and turning her gaze to Ghost. "Make yourself comfortable, _bella_."

Ghost opted to take a seat on the loveseat next to the bed, looking at the other women in expectation; after all, she had been invited.

"What should we talk about, _ragazze_?" Nicoletta quipped in a girly way, nudging the grumpy Joanna whom seemed more interested in her technological apparatus. "I know, let's talk about men, eh? You won't mind if us mated women talk about our men right, Jo?"

Ghost observed the younger woman; it was obvious she was rather uncomfortable and angry. Joanna let out a small growl then and turned to glare at Nicoletta. "Goddamnit all, Quila! You really know how to be an insensitive bitch. Fuck."

"Alright, sheesh, let's not talk about boys then," Nicoletta rolled her eyes, but Ghost could see that she was playing Joanna for some reason, as if she was deliberately trying to enrage her.

"I'll leave-" Ghost made to stand but she was surprised that it was Joanna, and not Nicoletta, whom stopped her.

"No, stay," Joanna suddenly seemed to drop ten levels from her anger gauge, looking at Ghost directly for the first time with a pout. Ghost couldn't quite place it yet but the young woman oozed familiarity to her, somehow some of her facial features seemed familiar. "Sorry, I'm very volatile and Nicoletta doesn't help."

Ghost nodded with a quirked eyebrow and sat back down just as Nicoletta let out an exasperated breath. "Show some respect to your maker at least," Nicoletta warned lightly through gritted teeth before standing up and crossing her arms over her chest, turning to gaze at Ghost. "Look, I'd really love the girl talk right now, but Joanna has something to tell you-"

"Quila!" Joanna hissed, glaring at Nicoletta with bewilderment.

"Shut it!" Nicoletta snarled back at her pupil before turning back to a confused and clearly uncomfortable Ghost. "Joanna doesn't have the _cojones_ to talk this with your mate so I told her it's best to tell his mate first, make it less awkward."

Ghost was now really confused and yet she wanted to know what the hell this was about. True, she had noticed Joanna's shocked stare when she first saw Black and, seeing as there was an answer to that, now she was interested. Standing up, she stared down the younger woman sitting on the bed. "What is going on? What do you have to do with Lucas?" Ghost spoke carefully through gritted teeth, her upper lip starting to pull back in a snarl. Joanna, watching her cautiously, suddenly looked glum.

She opened her mouth to speak but closed it, feeling uncomfortable at having the other women staring at her so intensely. A thought came to her then, finding an easier way to explain to Ghost what it is she wants to tell her. Fiddling with her technology, seemingly a portable computer with a tactile screen, she touched the screen several times and stopped, staring at whatever was on the screen and raising her gaze to Ghost. "This is your mate, right?" she flipped the screen over to show Ghost what was on it.

Ghost almost gasped, seeing a picture of Black on the screen with a profile beside it. Remembering her brother's profile from years earlier, she realized that what she was seeing was her mate's Priesthood report. He looked younger in the picture, seemingly taken during his early twenties. His hair was short and his face clean-shaven, a serious look drawn upon his young face, hazel eyes staring back at her. "Yes," she finally answered. "Lucas Faust."

Joanna nodded, turning the screen back to herself and fiddling with it again. Pausing, she let out a deep breath and stared at Ghost again. She was about to show Ghost what was on the screen but thought better of it and decided to use her words for a change. "My full name is Joanna Faust. My father was Nicolas Faust. His parents, my grandparents, are Daniel and Camellia Faust," she paused, letting out a deep breath, Ghost staring at her with a furrowed brow. "And my father's younger brother was Lucas Faust, taken from our family when he was 6 years old to join the Priesthood and reported dead by the Church 10 years ago, when I was 11 years old."

Ghost's face went blank then, gaping at the young woman before her at how everything coincided with her own Lucas Faust. It suddenly hit her why Joanna seemed familiar; her nose, her pouty lips and the shape of her dark eyebrows were strikingly similar to Black's; only hers' were finer and markedly feminine. "You..." Ghost began, shaking her hand dismissively before bringing it to pinch the bridge of her nose. "You are Lucas' niece?" she managed to inquire, turning her gaze back to Joanna.

Joanna nodded vigorously, pursing her lips and pulling her brow together in slight distress. "If you don't believe me," she shook her head and turned the screen towards Ghost again, showing her a picture of a man in what seemed to be his late-thirties with a pre-teen girl next to him, recognizing the girl as Joanna. "That's my dad."

Ghost examined the man's face and gaped at the striking similarities to Lucas. Save for the eye color, which was brown, and the shape of his eyebrows, the man was very similar to Black, or rather the other way around. The man, however, had a rather tired and sad expression, even though he was widely smiling in the photo, and his eyes also seemed softer in a way. There was no denying it then, Ghost mused, that this girl was Black's family. Everything was strikingly coincidental and you could tell how similar Nicolas and Lucas were; anyone could guess that they were brothers. Stepping back, she sat back down on the loveseat, not really knowing what to say.

_'Nicolas is the boy from his memories,'_ she thought, remembering Black's childhood memory from when he was taken.

"Uncle Lucas, that kind of has a nice ring to it," Nicoletta spoke with amusement, having the other women stare at her.

"Augh, you really are horrible," Joanna sighed, burying her head between her knees.

"Well, you two really are glum ladies," Nicoletta groaned in annoyance before turning to Joanna. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? You can tell your uncle now, _piccina_."

"Oh, that's so fucking fabulous, Quila," Joanna replied with exaggerated sarcasm. "Sure, why don't I just go 'Oh, hey, guess what? I'm your niece!'-. I'm just going to be the fucking fool in the room, shit!"

"Look," Ghost held her hands up, trying to avoid the other women from continuing their bickering. Turning to Joanna, she said, "I'll tell him in the most subtle way possible, alright? I can get him to talk to you."

Joanna groaned in frustration, throwing her head back and falling backwards into the bed. "Oh god, this could be so awkward and awful."

Nicoletta, on the other hand, chuckled, receiving a weird look from Ghost. "Interesting, huh? Priestly abilities run in the family."

Ghost raised her eyebrows questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Joanna sat back up and glared at her maker.

"Jo is a Neophyte," Nicoletta answered, stepping towards Joanna in a blur and pulling back her bangs before she could even protest. On the young woman's forehead was the dark tattoo of the cross with a circle surrounding it, just as she remembered from her dream. Nicoletta released Joanna, the young woman slapping her maker's hand away in annoyance, and turned to Ghost to explain what a Neophyte was. "Neophytes are superhumans or, simply put, humans with Priestly abilities, just like Priests."

"What makes them so different from Priests?" Ghost inquired further, slightly gaping in wonder that two family members, whom have never met, would be reunited and nonetheless share similar abilities in their human background.

"Neophytes were either born after the war or they developed their abilities after the war," Nicoletta explained.

"I developed my abilities after the war," Joanna added solemnly.

"They make the tattoos different to tell them apart from Priests," Ghost concluded and received a nod from Nicoletta. "But why? Why brand them as well?"

Joanna chuckled darkly, a hint of sadness underneath. "Because we're a danger to society. We're essentially the untrained Priests, thus, we don't know how to control our powers...According to the Church."

"Fuck," Ghost cussed, pissed at this new piece of information about the hypocrisy of the Church. "They really are experts in making _friends_," she said sarcastically.

Either way, Black needed to know. He needed to know that he had family alive and on his side, unlike her situation with Thomas. Truly, it was a wondrous coincidence that they both ended up as human-vampires and had Priestly abilities. Still, Ghost wondered whether he would react positively or negatively to this, Black was, after all, certainly unpredictable in some aspects.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the ghost town of Jordan, stopping to recharge their bikes just before they made it to Sola Mira. They had broken into small groups, deciding to tackle the hive from different directions. It was a gamble though; Isaac and Sarah figured that the hive might probably be completely abandoned by now if Black Hat and Ghost were alive.<p>

"This town has been abandoned since before the war ended," the redheaded Priestess, Gabriela, commented. "Or at least that's what I've heard, I wasn't around back then."

"You heard correctly," the tall Priest, Micah, reassured her. He turned to Isaac and Sarah, noting their suddenly tense frames. "Priest Isaac?"

Sarah held up her hand and pointed towards her right ear, signaling the other Priest and Priestess to be quiet and listen. They obeyed and followed their leaders further into the small town. A sudden rustle was heard, but it was so brief and light that it could hardly be picked up. Isaac turned into an alley quickly, picking up on the sound and following it. The veteran Priest was just walking past a door when he turned back to it in an instant, slamming it open and grabbing the collar of a bald man whom screamed when the Priest pulled him and threw him against the dusty ground. The other Priests surrounded the Familiar, preventing it from trying to scour away.

"Where is your master?" Isaac spat through gritted teeth, grabbing the Familiar by its collar roughly.

"I am loyal, I give nothing away- Aaaaaah!" the Familiar screamed in pain when Isaac broke two of his fingers at the same time, one for each hand.

"My patience is running thin," Isaac warned with a dangerous tone, taking another of the Familiar's fingers in his grip. "Answer wisely. I'm going to ask you again-"

"They aren't here!" the pathetic man interceded, yelling in desperation. "You have your information, now go! Leave us!"

"Not quite," Isaac replied, turning the Familiar around and slamming him face down against the ground, holding one of his arms above him and pressing his knee against the Familiar's back, holding him down. "You _will _tell me who these masters of yours are."

"I. Will. Never-" Isaac didn't let the vampire slave finish, twisting his arm until he broke his lower arm with a sickening crunch, the Familiar's screams filling the air.

"Tell me!"

"Black Hat and Ghost!" the Familiar screeched just before Isaac threatened to break his upper arm. "They are not here! They never came back!"

Priest turned the shuddering bald man around, shaking him roughly by the collar as the other Priests watched and stood alert, just in case any vampires or other Familiars appeared.

"Who is she?" Isaac asked roughly, glaring viciously at the Familiar.

"Wha-"

"Ghost! The woman, who is the woman?" he repeated with exasperation. "Tell me everything you know or I promise you will regret it."

"I-I-I'm not sure! Not sure!" he stuttered desperately, his eyes moving wildly as he tried to come up with a satisfying answer. "B-but a Priest came around these parts a few years ago, Ghost killed him, yeah."

"A Priest?" Sarah was the one to ask, her brow furrowing in thought.

"Who was he?" Isaac asked through gritted teeth.

"Don't remember his name clearly," the Familiar managed to answer, still searching his memories for answers, fearful of what might happen to him. "Y-y-yes, Aiello, eh, I think that was it...He was important to Ghost, I think...Heard her scream at him when she had him imprisoned, called him 'brother'."

The four Priests suddenly fell silent at the surname, instantly recognizing it.

"Thomas Aiello," Micah said with a scowl. "But he killed himself..."

"P-p-please don't kill me, I-" the Familiar interrupted but Isaac was quick to silence him, retrieving a knife from its holster and stabbing the Familiar in the heart, twisting it before the pale man took his last gasp.

Getting back to his feet, he turned to face the other three Priests. They were silent for a moment as they considered what this meant, what it implicated.

"Tom," Gabriela was the one to break the silence, her voice barely above a whisper and her voice almost breaking. She remembered the brown haired man with his beautiful light-blue eyes. She was a very young Priestess at the time but she had looked up to him, even though he was very quiet and secretive. He had even given her some valuable lessons and she was sorry she never had the chance to go into the war back in the day; it had been over just before she was deemed ready to step into the battlefield. "Thomas...faked his death?" It was the only logical conclusion she could come to, and it killed her. It killed her because she felt betrayed that she had mourned him and that if he truly had lived he never let anyone know of it. The other Priests regarded her with their troubled gazes but spoke nothing of the matter.

Isaac let out a deep breath, realizing that Lucas' companion wasn't just a sidekick, but someone with motivations just as strong and bitter like his. This woman's grudge, he considered, might go hand in hand with Thomas' recruit as a Priest, bringing a deep grudge and resentment for the Church. Such that she would go as far as killing her own sibling, assuming that it was because the deceased fellow Priest held fast to his duty. He recalled that some families weren't so willing to give up their own to join the Priesthood, and this Aiello woman probably faced a similar situation. Deep in his heart, he prayed that they didn't come across the human-vampires when finally confronting the Vampire Queen; he knew they would only complicate things and most certainly bring some casualties to their numbers. One thing was certain for him, and it only made him wary; they were _very_ strong and resilient. He knew that if it hadn't been for Sarah he wouldn't be standing there in Jordan with Sarah and the other Priests.

"Search the town, look for anything suspicious that might be useful," he finally spoke, the other Priests nodding in understanding and setting out to do as they were told, except Sarah.

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she finally decided on what to say, searching his gaze. "Isaac...You don't have to take all this burden yourself," she spoke carefully, her eyes tinged with worry for him. Ever since his showdown with Lucas he had been more on edge than usual and his usually calm demeanor was taking on a more aggressive note. It was almost as if he was holding himself solely responsible for what may happen to anyone, being constantly, almost obsessively, vigilant. "You know you can trust me to help you."

Isaac sighed but offered her a very faint smile. He was indebted to her, she had truly always been there for him, and he felt like he underappreciated her at times. But he really couldn't show his emotions just on a whim, he was so conditioned to the Priesthood manners that he often forgot about his emotions. "I trust you," he finally said. "But this burden is my own, I only ask for your help in watching over them," he explained solemnly, referring to his fellow Priests. He saw her sigh sadly, slump her shoulders and avert her gaze, so he only found it prudent to add to his remark. "It is my fault that Lucas is what he is today," at this Sarah looked up, her brow furrowing with distress and she began shaking her head in denial. "So it is my full responsibility that I make sure we see this through. And when we find him...I will make sure to kill him," he stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, catching her distraught gaze.

_'Even if I have to die to kill him,'_ he kept this to himself, not wanting to worry her any further.

Sarah took a deep breath, placing her hand over Isaac's before speaking. "I miss him...badly," she set her jaw, taking another deep breath and restraining her emotions. In her mind, she fervently prayed that they could release Lucas from his damnation, but in her heart, in the dark depths of her heart, she wished that she could speak with her old friend again, to hold him even, like he did when she felt sad or desperate.

"I know," Isaac whispered, his tone grave, resigning himself to keep on going with their mission and praying for the strength he would need to finally kill his damned friend. Damned because he failed him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Hello again dear readers :) I hope this chap was enjoyable! Sooooo yeah I just made Black Hat an uncle, I hope no one hates me for that. I had it planned for a while now though, that was the main purpose of BH seeing his brother in his memories, so he actually knew he had a brother. The King and Queen thing was honestly a very recent idea, hence why this chap took longer (besides other stuff :P). Just before I stop rambling I want to thank my readers for keeping up with this story and to those who have this story in their Favs and Alert. Thank you! Reviews are greatly appreciated and made of awesome love as well as constructive criticism, let me know what you think :) Peace out!__

_-piccina_: baby

_-ragazze_: girls


	16. While I Breathe, I Hope

************Warning:************ Sex.************  
><strong>**********

************Disclaimer:** **********I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 16: While I Breathe, I Hope<strong>

Joon-Baek was out on the rooftop of his hideout, glancing down at the city lights. He wasn't gazing at anything in particular; he was just contemplating the recent events. However, he did wish that he could at least have the ever-beautiful sight of the stars and the moon, but the cities polluted clouds covered everything in a depressing darkness. Feeling the familiar presence of his old friend, he glanced back at her in acknowledgement, welcoming her to his side.

"You know," Nicoletta began once she was next to him, crossing her arms over her chest. "Even after almost seven centuries of knowing you, you still manage to make me question your decisions and reactions."

Joon-Baek chuckled, keeping his hands in his pockets. "Pray tell, what confounds you my dear friend?"

Nicoletta audibly sighed, rolling her eyes as she did so. "How can you be so calm?" she demanded. "This vampire tells you she's seen Ishtar through dreamscape and you're only slightly surprised. Ishtar, alright, your maker, the elder vampire sacrificed and once trapped within her sister's psyche-"

"She is still trapped," Joon-Baek corrected, his tone dead serious.

Nicoletta's eyes widened with surprise and she turned to face her maker. "What? But...But you said yourself, that when she stopped appearing to you in dreams that it was because Isis died, faded away by the very demon she tricked, consumed by its soul. You told me she had been freed, _maestro_..."

"I did, and I believed it myself," he side-glanced at her, his brow furrowed together. "I should have known better. I thought that was true with the Priests finally eliminating all the Queens, leaving only the Queen who made the truce with the Church. With no new Queens emerging I honestly believed that it had been true. But I should have suspected that; why surrender all of a sudden?" he asked to no one in particular, only making the question as a lingering thought. "Isis must be alive if the Queen made Lucas and Marion into vampires."

Nicoletta frowned and gave Joon-Baek a questioning look. "What makes them so particular? There are plenty of humans out in the Wastelands."

"The Priests turned the tide in favor of humans. They unknowingly helped us in keeping the neo-vamps at bay. Of course, our goal was always to search and destroy the elusive Isis," he scoffed, shaking his head. Turning to Nicoletta he continued, "However, no Queen had ever made a Priest into a vampire successfully...Until Lucas that is. He could have proved a very formidable weapon in favor of the neo-vamps and a very viable King as well, his offspring with Marion as Queen could have meant a new breed of neo-vamps. Of course, that's just what I speculate, and I hope it stays as nothing more than a speculation."

"_Per favore_," Nicoletta grimaced in disbelief. "I could have overpowered him just by using my pinky finger."

Joon-Baek raised an amused eyebrow, letting out a light chuckle. "Think about Jo for a second. What did I tell you about her when you made her?"

Nicoletta was silent for a moment, recalling what Joon-Baek had told her a year ago. "_Si_, that her aura was very unstable and shifting, probably because she was a Neophyte. I don't-" she cut herself off when she instantly realized what her master was telling her. "Wait, this Lucas, he's an ex-Priest, his aura must be similar."

Joon-Baek nodded. "His is more stable though. It must be from his training; he was properly trained as a Priest, or so I assume, whereas Jo wasn't, like every other Neophyte. Priests learn to control their inhuman strength, they learn constraint," he paused, glancing at the city before he continued. "Lucas has power that he doesn't even know he has at his disposal. I could feel it, his aura is very tense and shocking, it's just like a ticking bomb waiting to explode and release all its energy. Right now, I think he's in a state of mind where he believes that because he is stronger than a Priest then he is stronger than he was before, so he thinks that is his limit. He needs a challenge, that is all, something to bring him to the edge of desperation and his aura explodes to his true potential."

Nicoletta was wide-eyed, a flabbergasted look plastered on her expression. "_Cazzo_," she cursed, bringing a hand to grab anxiously at her unruly hair. "Are you sure about that? Is that even possible?"

"Like I said," Joon-Baek replied. "That is only what I feel from his aura. I'm sure, but only Ramla will be able to clarify it and confirm it."

Nicoletta nodded in agreement, her expression calming slightly. "What about her? Marion?"

Joon-Baek shook his head, pursing his lips together. "I don't know. Her aura is strong, but only to what is appropriate for her vampire age. Ramla will have to do a reading on her blood and tell us what made the Queen choose her. I doubt she just chose her coincidentally with such a strong potential King at hand."

"When will you take them to see her?" Nicoletta questioned.

"Tomorrow. I'll bring her over."

Nicoletta nodded, remaining silent before telling Joon-Baek what she had come up to the rooftop to tell him. "Joanna is Lucas' niece," she deadpanned, as if it were something of a common occurrence.

"Ah," he smirked, turning to glance at Nicoletta. "That explains her mood shift; she isn't usually so awkward and shy," he laughed before turning a bit serious. "Interesting then; our dear baby-vamp found her dead Priest uncle. Who would've known?"

Nicoletta scoffed, biting down anxiously on her lower lip. "If your speculations are true, then we have two ticking time bombs under our roof. Isn't that just a formula for disaster?"

"No," Joon-Baek replied, determination and assurance in his tone. "They might just be the destructive forces we need on our side to actually bring down the Empress...for good."

* * *

><p>The warm water cascaded around her, massaging away her bodily tensions. She had her hands pressed against the shower wall, hunched over under the shower's head. Bringing her hands up to her hair, she scuffled it, groaning in frustration.<p>

_'How do you tell your mate that he has a live family member that's a human-vampire like him?'_ That was the question she kept asking in her mind, going over different scenarios in her head on how the situation might turn out. He might be happy (well, in Black's smug way of being happy), he might be angry, or he might just be indifferent. Ghost really had no idea which reaction he might have because, after all, this wasn't an everyday situation. It was an utter coincidence that they found themselves with these human-vampires.

She was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't even hear the bathroom's door opening. The shower's door was silently slid open a moment later.

She almost released a scream when a pair hands suddenly came over her breasts from behind her, covering them fully, but she instantly recognized the feeling of those rough hands. Gazing down momentarily at his large hands, his short yellowish-claws scraping her sensitive skin, she allowed her body to relax against his when he pressed against her back. Sighing contentedly as he caressed her breasts softly, she brought her left hand to rest over his own and her right hand came up to stroke the side of his face, turning her head sideways to look at him.

They held each other's gazes for a moment before Black leaned down until their noses barely touched. Ghost broke the silence then. "You still like scaring me?"

Black chuckled lightly, a smirk forming on his lush lips. "Scare is not the right word there...I believe 'surprise' is more fitting," he dipped down and pressed his lips against hers, moving them softly with hers as he groped her breasts harder, pinching her erect nipples and eliciting a moan from her.

Ghost broke the kiss, beginning to pant from his actions, arching into his touch and throwing her head back against his shoulder, holding his lustful gaze. "What-" she broke off suddenly with a gasp when he brought his right arm over her chest fully, pulling her flush against him. He guided his left hand along her side, gliding it along her wet skin until he reached her ass, groping her left buttock eagerly before continuing his way to stroke her thigh. His eyes never broke contact with hers, savoring her flustered expression. "What did you talk with...with Joon-Baek?" she finally managed to ask through her slight panting, his primal gaze not helping her at all to speak clearly and that familiar pressure against her lower back beginning to excite her.

"I dare you to keep talking," he whispered hoarsely, breathing hotly against her ear. "I'd rather hear you making other sounds."

She shuddered at his tone, closing her eyes in bliss when his lips descended upon her neck, kissing and licking her skin hungrily. "Smug bastard," she teased, though it came out more as a groan, his hands exploring her body and his eager lips distracting her greatly. She heard him chuckle, his chest rumbling behind her with the action.

The hand on her thigh then moved to the front of her body, flatting it against her abdomen before he dipped it down between her legs, her body twitching and arching at his action as a groan escaped her lips. She panted, her chest heaving against the arm that held her in place, and held on to his arms for support. He probed her wet core, flicking her sensitive bundle of nerves with his thumb, causing her to moan and buck against his hand.

"Luc..." she groaned, pressing her lips to his temple, gasping as he inserted a finger into her and began picking up his pace, stroking her faster.

He trailed his lips from her collarbone up to her neck before reaching her jaw, scraping his fangs along her skin, his hand moving faster still between her legs. Finally reaching her parted lips he took them in his, giving her an urgent, open mouth kiss before plunging his tongue into her mouth, tangling it with hers when she eagerly reacted, her right hand reaching up to scrape her nails along the scruff on his jaw. They kept their lips moving fervently against each other until Ghost felt dangerously close to the edge, her thigh muscles beginning to clench against his deft hand and her own hands darting to hold onto dear life to that arm, feeling his muscles flex under her touch from his actions.

"Ah!" she gasped against his mouth, finally parting from his lips as the pleasure came closer and closer.

"Look at me," he spoke deeply, finally moving the arm that restrained her chest to hold her chin, turning her to gaze at him.

She shuddered when he caught her gaze, his primal eyes only intensifying her excitement. Panting, she threw her head back into his shoulder, maintaining eye contact with him. She was just about ready for the pleasure to overtake her body fully when, suddenly, he abruptly removed his hand from her wet core, her knees buckling at the sudden action and a surprised gasp escaping her lips.

"What...the...hell..." she managed to pant out, glaring at him and his amused smirk. Her glare faltered for a moment when he brought his fingers up to his mouth, licking and sucking them clean, and she shuddered at the sensual action, bringing her hands back to hold onto the side of his thighs. "Luc, you better-" she began warning him but was cut off when, in a blur, he spun her around, picked her up by the waist and pinned her against the tiled shower wall, her legs instantly wrapping around his hips as he pressed his body between her legs, his erection nestled between them.

He held her hazy gaze for a moment, the shower's water cascading around them as she held onto his shoulders, both of their chests heaving with excitement and anticipation. He entered her then, a growl ripping through him and a satisfied groan leaving her lips, her thighs clenching around him and bringing him closer still at the sensation of him filling her. Wasting no time, he instantly began moving in and out of her, setting a rhythm as they moved together, his lips going straight to her chest, kissing and suckling her breasts hungrily, his hands gripping her thighs and her own hands holding onto his shoulders.

Her moans and groans were only music to his ears, music he could never get enough of, and it only motivated him to move faster, ramming up into her harder still. Her breath came out raggedly, her eyes closing in bliss as she scraped her claws along his upper back. His lips travelled upwards to her neck, giving her open mouth kisses, tongue darting out to trail along her jaw until he reached her lips. Her arms wrapped around his broad shoulders then, gripping desperately with her hand as their lips moved fervently together.

Suddenly he parted from her lips with a groan, feeling his climax nearing, his strokes getting faster, pounding fully into her. She was near already, the pressure almost overcoming her. Bringing him closer, she leaned her head into his shoulder, their chests pressed together now, both of them savoring the slick and delicious friction of their wet bodies moving against each other.

"Luc!" she gasped with a warning, feeling near the edge, again, and intent this time on seeing through that he brought her over that edge. He nudged her with his head and she parted slightly from his shoulder, turning to gaze into his lust filled eyes, his full lips parted like hers from his laborious panting. Ghosting his lips over hers, he held her gaze, intent on watching her expression until she came.

Finally, she moaned loudly when her muscles clenched in a series of spasms around him, her thighs tightening around his body, body trembling and shuddering as she rode out her climax. A growl ripped through him, her climax bringing about his own, erupting inside her with a final thrust.

They were both breathing raggedly, recovering from their climaxes, their muscles still twitching and trembling from their actions. He brought his lips to hers, kissing her fully before readjusting his arms, bringing one under her bottom and wrapping the other behind her back. She buried her face into his shoulder, her arms around his neck, allowing her breath to slowly calm down. They remained silent, simply enjoying each other's presence. After a few moments, Black walked them both out of the shower. He slipped out of her and set her down, proceeding to dry each other off.

They were later cuddled up naked on the bed, Black resting against Ghost's chest with an arm strewn across her abdomen, all the while she played with his still damp hair. Ghost suddenly smiled and chuckled, having Black raise his head to look at her with a weird look.

"Care to fill me in?" Black inquired, propping his head up with his hand, lying on his side and keeping his other hand on her abdomen.

Ghost gazed at him with lit up eyes, raising a hand to his face to stroke his cheek. "I just really needed _that_."

Black understood what she meant but decided to take advantage of her good mood. "The shower?"

Ghost snickered and slapped his chest playfully. "You know what I mean, smartass," she laughed, gazing at his smirking face. "It just felt like we hadn't really been alone in a while. What with all this running and changing plans and-...Fuck, I've just been so stressed out...So much has happened in such a short span of time," her voice was low, speaking softly as she went through the recent events in her mind.

"We won't be running for long," he said in a serious tone, determination in his voice. "Once we figure all of this out, what to do, we'll end this...It'll be just you and me," he drew his lips to hers, kissing her while drawing lazy circles on her belly with his fingers.

Ghost smiled against his lips and gave him an amused gaze when he pulled back. "Wow, that was so cheesy," she chuckled lightly, receiving a mock offended look from Black.

"Bitch," he growled with a smirk, nipping her bottom lip playfully, much to her amusement. He remembered then that he had recovered her old family photo. "Hey, I have something for you," he announced, parting from her and standing from the bed, going through his discarded pants.

"Oh?" she watched him curiously, rolling onto her stomach and propping her chin on her hands, secretly reveling in watching his built, naked form. He turned back to her, approaching her with something in his hand. "What is it?" she asked as he sat at the edge of the bed, handing her the object. "Shit! I thought I lost it at the motel," she gaped at Black, her bright yellow eyes wide in surprise.

"Technically, we were assaulted so..." Black corrected her before explaining where he got if back from. "Joon-Baek took it, he figured it was important to you."

She gave him a half-smile and turned to gaze at the photo. "I'll have to thank him then," she mused before going silent, staring at the photo. Looking at her own family brought her mind back to Joanna, and she began considering whether now was the right time to tell Black.

"What's wrong?"

She snapped out of her thoughts, turning to watch him staring at her, and she realized that her expression probably gave her away. He knew her far too well. "Nothing."

"Doesn't seem like nothing."

She sighed, deciding just to get it over with. Sitting up, she scooted close to his side, his arm coming around her shoulders and molding her against him out of custom now. "There is something that you _might_ want to know..." she tentatively said, leaning her head against the crook of his neck, her hand coming up to caress his muscular chest.

"What is it about?" he inquired, his voice rumbling against her ear.

She hesitated for a moment before answering, "Your family."

At those simple words she felt him instantly tense. "What about my family?"

Not wanting to drag this on and concluding that it was better to just lay it on the table, she took a deep breath before saying with caution, "Joanna, the girl whom was scared of you, she is...Well, she is your niece."

She waited for his reaction, anything, but he remained silent. Frowning, she straightened up to gaze at him, studying his slightly tense expression that was staring at nothing in particular, yet showing no surprise or confusion. Bringing a hand up to his face, she had him gaze at her. "Did you hear what I said?" she asked.

He nodded once, closing his eyes briefly and letting out a deep breath. "Yes."

"I don't know, I was expecting more of a reaction," she squinted her eyes at him. "Where's the 'how can you be so sure, Marion?'" she imitated his deep voice. "Or 'Mar, how can you be so trusting of people we barely know?'. You know I was thinking a lot-"

"I already suspected it," he interceded, his eyes flashing open and catching her gaze.

Frowning, she slightly gaped at him, looking at him in perplexity. "Wait...what?" she asked, her tone disbelieving. "Now, don't get me wrong, Luc, but...You _were_ taken from your family when you were but a child, how can you even be sure?"

"I never was sure," he replied, taking the hand that held his face in both of his, stroking the back of her hand with his right thumb. "It was strange...When that girl walked into the room her scent caught my attention. The only way to describe it is that it was familiar, like it belonged to me," he urged her with his eyes to believe in him, to trust what he was saying even though it seemed strange. "It's hard to describe, but it was like the scent told me she belonged to my bloodline."

Ghost had to shake her head when she realized she was gaping at him, surprised that the situation was turning out better, though no less weirder, than she expected. "I don't know what to say then...I mean, I believe you and if there's one thing I've learned is that we're _both_ learning new things everyday, what with all this vampire and neo-vampire stuff," she let out a dry laugh before continuing. "It's only surprising to me because I thought that I was going to be the one sounding crazy telling you that you had live, well live-ish, family member."

Black smirked at what really worried her, releasing her hand and opting to bring her legs across his lap, caressing them softly. "Did the girl speak with you?"

Ghost nodded. "She was, or is, too afraid to bring it up directly to you; thought it might be weird," she fell silent momentarily, catching his left hand and holding it over her lap, going on to tell him exactly what Joanna told her and what she showed her. Once she finished retelling the story he didn't say anything, so she asked, "How do you feel about this?"

Black shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not particularly ecstatic about it but it's not bothering me either."

"But...she's your family. She's the daughter of the brother you remember back from when they took you," she urged at him, trying to bring up some sort of reaction from him. Actually, she didn't know why she was trying to stir up some sort of humanity from him, when she herself had been one to set it aside back when she killed Thomas and burned away her past. It was only after the crash and hiding in her deceased brother's house that a flame of her buried humanity was once again rekindled, if only slightly.

"Marion, you're forgetting one thing," his expression was serious, gazing intensely at her. "I hardly remember my family and I've never met this particular member of my family. It's not like it was with you and Thomas."

Ghost sighed, pursing her lips together but nodding nonetheless in agreement. "You're right...Will you talk to her at least? That's the only thing she asked of me."

Black visibly grimaced but gave out a grunt of agreement either way. "Yes, I'll try," he deadpanned, wanting to get over that matter already. Looking into her bright yellow eyes, he recalled the conversation with Joon-Baek. "Come here," he urged her to curl up in his lap to which she gladly complied, bringing her arms around his neck as his arms came around her small frame, holding her close to his body and nuzzling her neck with his nose, taking in her intoxicating scent.

It absolutely disturbed him the thought of the Queen wanting nothing more than to have them together as mates so that she may take them before the Empress to be turned into neo-vampires. He had once seen the Queen as his glorious savior, but that bit of information about the Kings and Queens highly sickened him. He understood now the dream he had, the one where Ghost killed him. It represented exactly what would happen if they were turned into King and Queen. Mate and kill. He wouldn't allow that to happen to her, he just wouldn't. In fact, he was beginning to consider that maybe this was where they belonged, with others of their kind, the kind they once thought to be comprised of only the two of them. His mind was made up then; he would kill the Queen and then he would kill the Empress. The Church could wait.

* * *

><p>"Look who decided to join us for dinner," Nicoletta remarked when she saw Black and Ghost walk into the main room, turning to face them while she drank her packet of blood. "You two had fun last night?" she quirked her eyebrow suggestively.<p>

Black cleared his throat, receiving an elbowing to his ribs from a flustered Ghost, whom gave a snickering Nicoletta a wide-eyed stare. Dismissing the question she walked up to Nicoletta, crossing her arms over her chest. "Where's Joon-Baek? We need to speak with him."

Nicoletta scanned the shorter woman up and down, observing that she was dressed in the traveling clothes she had arrived with, as well as Black. "Are you going somewhere? I don't think Joon-Baek will want you to leave so fast; he's gone out to bring someone that might have answers for you."

Ghost huffed in exasperation. "We have a _personal_ mission to get done with. Besides, what if I told you we would be back?" It bothered her that Black wasn't particularly being helpful right now, opting to stay calm and silent behind her. Glancing back at him she realized his expression was one of deep thought, and wondered what he was thinking of exactly.

"Look, _bella_," Nicoletta turned serious and placed her hands on her hips. "Why don't you just tell me what this _mission_ is about? It will save us the fucking mystery."

She was about to answer when Black interrupted her. "We're going to destroy the Church," he announced, however, Ghost recognized that his tone wasn't as motivated as it had once been when he spoke of their goal. She briefly glanced at him with concern before turning back to Nicoletta.

"That's something big and something that might get you in trouble with the Coven of Cathedral City," she declared, her tone dark and set. "The humans are already very unsettled, even so that they're beginning to doubt the Church, the Clergy. They know they've been lied to, the Priest proved that to them. If you lot intervene, you may be doing them a favor but you're also in danger of exposing us and having the rest of the humans hunt us as well. They don't know we exist and we like it that way, it _has_ to be that way," she sighed heavily, dropping her arms by her side. "I'm not saying this because I think the Church should stay in power, on the contrary, but I've lived through enough centuries to know that humans eventually react. Intervening never worked for us before, that's why we stopped trying."

"You've exposed yourselves before?" Ghost inquired further.

Nicoletta nodded, taking in a deep breath, remembering the past. "Yes. Briefly, however, it always ended with new excuses for humans to persecute anything they deemed suspicious. Witch hunts, the Inquisition, prejudices and hate crimes, more wars...It never worked. Once they find out there's something stronger than them that can blend with them, it only made them more violent and paranoid, only accelerated the pace at which they killed each other and the neo-vampires didn't really help to mitigate that," she visibly tensed, her nostrils flaring briefly. "We could've ended this a long time ago, we thought we did for sure when the Priests first appeared. But we didn't; the Empress still lives. She tricked us."

Black and Ghost remained silent then, neither knowing what to say at the moment. Black was about to speak when they heard someone walk into the room. The three of them turned to see that it was Joanna, standing there awkwardly and avoiding Black's gaze at all costs.

"_Bambina!_" Nicoletta called her progeny cheerfully. "Come join us, don't be shy."

Joanna cleared her throat and walked quickly past the other vampires, walking into the small kitchen. "I'm just hungry, you guys carry on, eh."

Black visibly let out a deep breath, watching his kin walk past him, and gave Ghost a pointed look. His mate instantly understood that look and she turned to Nicoletta whom, apparently from experience, also understood, letting Ghost know that with a wink. Nicoletta was out of the area in a blur and Ghost stopped in front of Black before leaving him, placing a hand on his chest. "Please, try not be so aggressive," she urged him, knowing that he could often come of as a bit intimidating when faced with difficult matters.

He nodded, his brow furrowed as he held her gaze. "I'll try," he promised her, bringing his thumb to brush along her lower lip before she stood back and left the same way Nicoletta did. He was thankful she was giving him the space he needed, because he knew damn well that being suddenly faced with the matter of his long lost family wasn't an easy matter to deal with. With an exasperated grunt, he turned on his heel, walking towards the kitchen only to come face-to-face with Joanna, whom stopped in her tracks before him, her yellow eyes wide.

They both remained in an awkward silence, both wanting to break the silence but neither knowing what to say first. Joanna gave up though, breaking eye contact with him and making to walk around him. Black, however, was quick to grab her upper arm just as she began going around him. She looked up at him in surprise, her brow furrowing with annoyance and her lips pouting, trying to shake his arm off from her.

"You are my niece?" he deadpanned, his expression unreadable.

She instantly stopped struggling then, her features turning solemn as she looked at him. Feeling suddenly self-conscious, she broke his gaze; she couldn't stand the similarity he had to her father.

"Answer me."

Sighing deeply, she nodded softly, her eyes never meeting his. "Yes," she answered meekly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Joanna Faust. My dad was your brother, Nicolas Faust. I can show you, I have the Church's files on Priests and Neophytes on my tablet, we're both there, they state our bloodline, I-"

"I believe you," he released her arm then, letting his arms fall by his sides.

She finally looked up at him and gave him a weird look. "Why would you? I feel like a crazy kid begging for a lost family member to believe me. You have no reason to believe me."

Though his eyes were hard as he looked at her, he was secretly glad that the girl seemed to be in a state of mind where she wasn't expecting a heart-warming family reunion; it made things simpler and less awkward. "Your blood smells like mine," he explained, no real emotion in his voice. "I don't really understand it, so don't expect me to really explain it to you."

Joanna raised an eyebrow but nodded nonetheless. After all, she was only a 1-year old vampire, so she really didn't know any useful vampire tricks and her senses were still very fresh and young. Heck, she couldn't even hypnotize a single human. "Well," she began, pausing to scratch the back of her head awkwardly. "Now what?"

Black thought about it for a moment, opting to ask him about something he wanted to know. "Are my parents alive?"

Joanna nodded quickly, though her expression was a sad one. "Yeah. I miss them though; I can't really let them know I'm not really dead-dead. They moved a couple of years ago out into the Wastelands, eh."

_'How unsurprising,'_ he thought solemnly. _'The Church lied to me.'_

"And my brother?" he asked and instantly regretted it when the girl suddenly tensed, drawing her lower lip into her mouth and biting down on it.

She avoided his gaze for a moment before mustering up the courage to look him in the eye and tell him the truth. He deserved the truth, she thought, she knew that being a Priest he must've been lied to his whole life. She knew damn well that just as a Neophyte they fed her a lot of lies. Finally taking a deep breath, she answered, "He's dead."

Black tensed instantly, his jaw set and his brow furrowed, breaking his gaze from the girl. "What happened?" He wanted know, he needed to know. He was tired of the lies; he wanted the truth, no matter how painful it may be.

Joanna was about to answer when they were interrupted, the front door opening and Joon-Baek entering along with a woman. Joanna briefly glanced at Black, giving him an apologetic look. He dismissed her, opting to leave the question for another time, and turned to Joon-Baek and the strange woman that walked beside him. She had beautiful dark-skin, her hair white and threaded in small braids held together by a piece of cloth. But what caught Black's attention were her dull crystalline-blue eyes that were visibly unfocused, quickly realizing that she was blind.

"Lucas, Joanna," Joon-Baek started, walking up to Black and Joanna, the woman standing calmly by his side. "This is Ramla, she's the eldest vampire alive right now."

Ramla held out her hand and offered him a smile. Black was quick to react, taking her clawed hand and shaking it before she turned to Joanna, shaking her hand as well. He was confused when Joon-Baek announced that she was a vampire, because her eyes were not the characteristic shades of vampire eyes. Either way, he brushed the matter aside.

_'And this concerns me how?'_ he thought, not really understanding why he was being presented in such a way to the elder vampire.

"It concerns you because I may be the only one to give you real answers," Ramla spoke, her voice soothing but with a firm edge to it.

Black was taken aback, staring weirdly at the blind vampire. "How-"

"Ramla is the only telepathic vampire left alive," Joon-Baek was quick to answer. "She can look into yours and Marion's psyche and figure out your links with Ishtar."

"Fuck," Black cursed, shaking his head and glaring at the vampires before him. "What if I don't want to have my mind, or my mate's mind, meddled with for that matter? What if I've already made up my mind on what I want to do?"

"You have no choice," Ramla spoke softly, smirking at him. "The moment the two of you made links with Ishtar, whether willingly or not, you got involved in something larger than the matters that concern you. No other vampire has seen her in dreamscape in a long time now, so sadly your dreams and your mate's concern us. Dreams can be very powerful, Lucas Faust," she walked around him now, in a very predatory manner, but he kept his eye on her cautiously. "Some say that Death and Dream are siblings, which is why the dead can sometimes communicate with the living through dreams."

Black let out an exasperated breath, watching as the strange woman stopped before him once again. Recalling what Joon-Baek had told him the previous day, he finally asked, "Is this because of the Empress?"

Ramla cocked her head and gave him a curious look. Joon-Baek, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow, because he didn't recall telling Black that he suspected the Empress was alive. "Well, you're not as hard-headed as you look. You are actually able to draw logical conclusions," Ramla said with a fang-bearing grin.

"The Empress?" Joanna looked wildly between the other vampires, feeling completely left out of the conversation. Staring at Joon-Baek she gave him an angry look. "You told me she was dead."

"We're still not sure, Jo, keep your head on your shoulders," Joon-Baek urged her calmly.

Ignoring the other two, Black kept his gaze on Ramla and considered her for a moment. The urge to know more was winning him over, and he was beginning to think that having someone read his mind was the least of his problems right now. After all, the Queen had probed his mind before without his consent. At least from this, he thought, he could get some real answers.

Finally, he nodded firmly, his expression determined. _'Do what you must then. At least ask for her permission, Marion hates it when others make decisions for her... And I swear, if we are backstabbed, I will personally rip you apart and eat you, elder vampire title be fucked.'_

Ramla smiled widely at him and nodded. "Of course."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Ooof, it's been quite a while! Sorry for the slow updates, college takes up a lot of my time :p Anyways, just a heads up, I know these last few chapters have been kind of a lot of talk, but I promise that there will be some action in upcoming chapters. The chapter's title is from the Dir en grey album title Dum Spiro Spero, just 'cause I was listening to it while I wrote this chap haha. Updates will continue to be slow so stay tuned to my profile, I'll be updating it with the fic's status and whatnot. Also, I was thinking of making a drabble sort of fic of BH/Marion, just for fun and to fill in while I update this fic. Kudos if you spot the Sandman reference (it's pretty obvious if you're a fan lol). Thanks to the readers who added this fic to their Favs and/or Alert, I appreciate it :) Reviews are made of love and I like knowing what you guys think. Peace out!

-_per favore= _please

-_cazzo_= fuck


	17. Revelations

************A/N:************ I'm so sorry for the long wait, I really got caught with dealing with grad school admissions, Xmas, and the horrid writer's block. I really missed writing this story and thankfully I am already certain of what is going to happen in the next chapters all the way to the end. This chapter really was a pain, I rewrote it 3 times mainly because the first and second draft were really slowing down the pace and I wanted to move forward a bit so this is the result. I hope you guys enjoy this one, though it is on the shorter side. And just as a reminder: Priest=Isaac; Priestess=Sarah; Black Hat=Lucas/Luc. Finally, thank you to all those who reviewed and who've added me to their story alert, favs, author alert, etc. Thank you very much! ^^ Now please enjoy, let me know what you think, and peace out!

**************Disclaimer:** ************I do not own Priest or any of its characters. I only own my OCs.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 17: Revelations<strong>

The sand whipped wildly around them as they sped through the desert wasteland on their bikes. They passed the ruins of what once were great skyscrapers. Black was practically on autopilot, his mind still set on the events they had experienced. He couldn't help stealing glances of Ghost riding beside him; she was focused entirely on the nonexistent road before her, not once acknowledging his looks. It was almost automatic, no matter how many times she had told him she was fine, he knew her so well he just recognized her lie. She was hurt, confused, and above all she felt betrayed. He could see it in her expression, calm as she may have seemed, her eyes spoke a different story and her tense body language betrayed her. To say the least he had been surprised as well to find out that his mate had a Priestess' blood running through her veins. The blind psychic vampire had revealed more than they had bargained for.

_"I can assure you, Joon-Baek, that the Empress is indeed alive. From what I read on Marion's blood, the Queen has been meeting frequently with the Empress, it is why Ishtar took the first opportunity to deliver the message to us through her, to tell us that Isis still lives."_

_Black turned his gaze to Ghost, only to find that she still had a vacant expression from Ramla's revelation about her parents. "You're saying Ishtar used her as a messenger?" Black inquired seeing as Ghost wasn't about to voice out anything._

_"Yes. Her mind at the moment was the most reachable for Ishtar. Though she accepted the Queen, she had her own personal vendetta beforehand, unlike you, Priest. You can say that her constant doubts and skepticism provided a more viable dream bonding with Ishtar," Ramla calmly explained, opting to direct her explanations to Black._

_"Why didn't she just talk with you?"_

_"My master's psychic reach was and is severely affected by Isis' influence. The closer we were to her the easier it became for her to communicate. But after our last battle it seems that Isis gained the upper hand by feigning her death and being able to conceal Ishtar's psychic influence from within her. Marion's proximity to the Queen only provided a proximal vessel of communication. From what I got in her blood's essence, the Empress discovered that Ishtar was communicating with her through the Queen, which is why she resented Ghost. As to why she didn't just get rid of her, I do not know, but perhaps she didn't want to hurt her vampire Priest," she paused signaling at him with a nod of the head. "Or, perhaps having the vampire daughter of a Priestess proved just as invaluable to her."_

_"Could you pinpoint Isis' whereabouts?" Joon-Baek interceded._

_"Only approximately," she replied. "I was able to trace her beyond the Southern Wastelands. If she's truly that far into the Wastelands then she's playing it safe."_

_"There's hardly any human settlements in that area," Nicoletta commented as she stepped towards Joon-Baek. "What will we do?"_

_"We need to inform the other Heads about this right away," Joon-Baek was quick to reply before turning to Ramla. "Julian will escort you back to your place."_

_Ramla nodded and kneeled in front of Ghost, placing a hand on her shoulder. Ghost snapped out of her thoughts and looked up at the elder vampire. "Forgive me if I have upset you but I can't control whether you end up reliving your ancestor's memories or not. You are just more psychic sensitive, it has happened to others, like Joon-Baek. Try to be understanding," Ramla stood as Black followed her movements with a scrutinizing gaze. "You will probably hear this from Joon-Baek again, but he is right; your parents were brave humans. Keep that in mind, try not to resent them."_

_'Try not to resent them,'_ Black repeated in his mind. _'Easier said than done.'_

They stopped to recharge their bikes and Black took the forced break to talk with Ghost.

"Don't do this to yourself."

"Don't do what?" she retorted, walking towards a ruined building from the last century to shade from the sun.

"Don't torture yourself over what you learned of your parents," Black specified.

He followed her and stopped when she opted to lean against the ruin's wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Why do you insist that-"

"Marion," he interceded gravely and said nothing else, only searched for her gaze.

The way he said her name quickly delivered the message that he didn't believe she was taking this easy. He knew it affected her, and Ghost hated that she couldn't even lie to herself to get him to stop worrying over her. She was thankful that he stood by her, as always, but this was something she didn't need him to worry about because she didn't want to think about it either, and yet she unwillingly did. She cursed the blind vampire and she cursed her parents, especially her father, the man she had admired the most in her life, the man who raised her. Did he not trust Thomas and herself with the truth of his past, and of their mother's past?

"I really didn't want you to concern yourself over this," she sighed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose in both frustration and anger. "It seems I can't control thinking about it and it haunts me. I can't stop the visions..."

_'The visions, of course,'_ he thought in dismay, remembering the warning from Joon-Baek that Ghost may or may not experience residue visions of her ancestor's memories. How he had wished that it could have been the latter option so as to ease her suffering.

"Listen!" He stepped forward and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, giving her a slight shake to have her look up at him. "I don't care whether you are Marion Aiello or Marion Christos, whether you are or aren't the daughter of a Priestess and a rebel scientist. I just care that you are Marion, you are still you...You are still the same woman I cherish."

She was silent for a moment, looking up into his intense gaze with a grave stare. Finally, she opted to remove his hands from her shoulders and stepped away from him, surprising him even. "Fuck it, let's just forget about that for now and concentrate on hunting down the Queen. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I'll deal with it afterwards..."

"Mar-" he was about to argue with her, stepping towards her, a frown drawn into his features, but he cut off when they both heard something. Their heads snapped in the direction of the noise before they turned their gazes back to each other.

Looking at Ghost, Black nodded towards the direction of the stepping sounds and the two of them split, silently walking around a skyscraper's ruins. The steps got closer to Ghost as she continued rounding the ruins and she made a final dash towards the mysterious person once she knew she was close enough. However, she stopped herself when she recognized who it was.

"What the fuck!" Ghost snarled from the surprise, glaring apprehensively at the young woman before her.

"Joanna?" Black came up behind his niece, his brow contorted in confusion.

"Shit, sorry, sorry I shouldn't have been so staker-_ish_," Jo smirked cheekily only to receive apprehensive stares from her uncle and aunt-in-law.

"What are you doing here?" Black grabbed her right upper arm and shook her. "I thought Nicoletta _specifically_ forbid you from leaving the cities."

"Pfft, she can scream and bitch at me all she wants when I get back, but there was no way in fucking hell that I was just gonna stand by like an imbecile while you guys got all the hunting fun," Jo explained, shaking off her uncle's grip.

"Hunting fun?" Ghost interceded, spitting back Jo's words in her face. "What do you think this is, girl? A cute adventure in the desert hunting bunnies and coyotes?"

Jo was slightly taken aback by Ghost's aggressive attitude, raising her arms up in surrender before her. "Hey, I'm sorry, I know how serious this is-"

"Do you?" Black was quick to interrupt her, glaring down at the dark-haired girl. "If you understand the severity of the mission you'll run back to the cities and do as you're told."

"Come on, hear me out!" Jo begged with her uncle while Ghost stared at her with her arms crossed. "I can help."

"You'll only get in the way, so go back," Black insisted and pushed Jo aside, turning to Ghost. "Marion, let's go."

Jo watched as the pair of vampires began walking away from her when she decided to drop the bit of information she knew would change their minds. "I saw a group of Priests back in Nova Laguna."

Effectively, both Black and Ghost stopped in their tracks and turned to face the young vampire. "You are sure of this?" Black asked.

"Positive, I fucking swear. There were at least three of them; two gals and a guy," Jo explained.

"If that's so then they have been effective in tracking down the alternate hives," Ghost concluded, giving Black a pointed look.

"There's a hive in Nova Laguna?" Jo questioned.

Black nodded absentmindedly. "Yes, hidden in its outskirts, the humans don't know about it," he went silent for a moment, considering something before turning to Ghost. "The Queen should be moving by now and if there were only three Priests in Nova Laguna then that means they've split. Maybe we should start with Nova Laguna instead of Sola Mira."

Ghost nodded in agreement but said nothing, seemingly still in a sour mood, opting instead to prep the bikes for the ride.

Black opted to ignore his wife's mood and turned to Jo. "If you're coming along you'll do whatever Ghost and I tell you. Understand?"

Jo tried to contain her excitement and answered firmly with a "Yes, sir!"

* * *

><p>Sarah stepped diligently through the dank corridors so as to not stir any unwanted attention. Much like the Sola Mira hive, this one seemed to be abandoned. However, unlike the Sola Mira hive, this one seemed rather recent, and it made the residents of Nova Laguna rather uneasy when reports of vampire sightings were filed. The news of Jericho's destruction didn't bring much comfort either, only feeding the people's panic.<p>

Upon inspection she noticed that the vampires body slime was still fresh on the walls, proof that the hive hadn't been abandoned for long. If this hive was new, she concluded, then that possibly meant that the Queen moved between this one and Sola Mira. Or perhaps she counted with more hives. She didn't take well to this possibility, not after they went through so much blood and sacrifice to bring down all the hives 10 years ago.

She reached the end of the tunnel and jumped down onto the common area of the hive, inspecting the open space quickly for any sign of movement. There was nothing. Only darkness stared back at her from the corridors as she looked up at the hole in the ceiling letting in the sun's rays. She suddenly became alert when she heard a faint whisper behind her. In an instant she turned on her heel and drew out a knife before her in defense. She frowned and began looking around her carefully. For a moment she thought that it might have just been her mind playing tricks, considering that it would be more likely to hear a growl or savage fang clicks in a vampire hive than the whisper of a human. However, now she was certain that she had eyes on her.

"Hello, Priestess."

She heard the voice of a woman before she was roughly grabbed by the shoulders from behind and flung backwards against the floor. Sarah was quick to recover herself despite how surprised she may have been by the attack. She came face to face with a dirty blonde woman slightly shorter than her, but what caught her attention were the yellow eyes that viciously glared back at her. Realization suddenly dawned upon Sarah.

"You are Ghost?" she asked whilst stepping back, even though the human vampire stood still.

"Jackpot," Ghost deadpanned. "It is good to finally meet you in the flesh, Sarah. I have a few non-verbal expressions I need to share with you. You know, for the train incident."

Sarah arched one of her eyebrows when she heard her name spoken; after all, few people knew a Priest or Priestess' name. "How do you know my name?"

The human vampire's slight chuckle made her realize quickly that the answer should have been obvious by now. "Come now, you don't think Luc never told me about his days as a Priest-"

Sarah turned sideways just in time to block an attack from Ghost. She retaliated with a slash from her knife but Ghost caught her arm in an iron grip, digging her claws into her arm. "He especially told me about his friends," Ghost continued before jumping back when Sarah tried to kick her off. Using distance as an advantage, Sarah quickly took out her chain and swung the bladed end at Ghost.

The human-vampire was faster though. Following the chain's trajectory she purposely spun her left arm, allowing the chain to wrap around it and grabbed it tight. Before the Priestess could even react, she took two steps forward to give it some slack and then pulled, dragging Sarah back on the ground.

Sarah felt the alien sensation of a moment's fear and panic at having her favored weapon turned against her. No monster had ever managed it before. She had no time to consider this when her shock and her breath were suddenly driven out of her by a hard kick to her ribs.

"You really packed a punch back there on the tracks," Ghost mocked, catching the Priestess' right leg when she tried to kick her feet from under her and launched her into the wall. "What about now? Do you need explosives?"

Sarah spit out blood, getting back on her feet as fast as she could and throwing small knives at Ghost, trying to keep her at bay. Ghost was quick to avoid most of them but still took one on her left thigh and on her abdomen. This only infuriated the human-vampire, whom jumped through the air and attacked Sarah with an axe kick. She managed to dodge, the ground cracking when Ghost's kick landed solidly. Determining that distance was her ally in this fight, Sarah tried to take the opportunity to back away, but Ghost bested her in speed, rapidly closing the gap and attacking her with a series of punches and kicks. Sarah kept up for a while, until Ghost fooled her with a feint and her fist managed to solidly connect with her jaw.

The Priestess' world spun around for moment before she realized she had been knocked on the ground once again. Ghost was above her before she could notice and she found herself with a boot pressed against her neck. Sarah held onto it, trying to relieve the pressure as she glared up at the savage woman. She believed Isaac when he told her how strong Lucas had become, and now she knew that actually fighting a human-vampire was on another level from what they had been trained. Now she was at the mercy of a superior type of vampire.

"Ghost," Sarah heard another voice, but this one was familiar, albeit if rougher than it used to be. "I think that's quite enough."

Ghost pushed down her boot roughly against the Priestess neck before removing her foot and stepping aside. Sarah sat up quickly, coughing as she did so and keeping up her defense, turning to face the other monster hidden in the darkness. He walked out of the shadows of a corridor and she couldn't hide the emotions that came about when she saw his face. She would be a fool to deny that she secretly wished she could have her old friend back, but she could see in his face that he wasn't the same man. She understood now what Isaac had meant. No longer did he have that welcoming and warm expression that he used to offer to his friends but a hardened one instead, his brow brought into deep frown as he stared into her eyes. There was no gentle man behind those yellow eyes. Not anymore, instead all she could see was a savage beast, hungry for chaos.

Sarah was suddenly distracted when she saw that Black was dragging along an unconscious Priest Micah. Black must have recognized the horror in her eyes because he spoke to her then.

"He is alive, if that is what you are wondering," he announced nonchalantly before releasing the body by the corridor's entry.

Sarah followed the human-vampires' movements before she turned to the sound of a third person stepping into the area. It was a black-haired young woman, tall and slender all dressed in black, but to her distress this girl was dragging along her other companion, Priestess Gabriela, unconscious as well. Upon seeing the girl's yellow eyes she realized that she too was a human-vampire, and yet she found more surprising the girl's tattoo on her forehead.

_'A Neophyte?'_ she thought.

"It's good to finally see you again, Sister," Black smirked as he sauntered forward, stopping in front of her.

She would have attacked, she _should have_ attacked, but she restrained herself when she reasoned that three very powerful monsters outnumbered her. It would have been suicidal to attack by now; nevertheless she kept her guard up.

"It was rather unfortunate that the last time we didn't get to meet face to face," he paused, grabbing her wrist and pulling the knife she held out of her grip, tossing it at Ghost whom promptly caught it. "I was prepared to present you with the same offer as your dear Isaac."

"I refuse."

"Ah, that's too bad, I would've turned you myself," he bluffed before Sarah cut him off.

"If you're not here to kill us, what do you want? What plans are you carrying out for your Queen?" Sarah inquired defiantly.

Black chuckled, running a hand through his short-cropped hair before he answered. "You haven't changed, always going straight to the point."

"I have no desire to speak idly with a monster."

In the blink of an eye Sarah found herself smashed against the wall behind her, her jaw gripped tightly in Black's right hand. He leaned down close to her face, glaring fiercely into her surprised eyes. "Listen to me, and you better listen good. I am a monster, as you put it, because of you and because of Isaac, so don't try to guilt trip me into feeling horrid about what I am. I assure you, I don't regret what I am, I have never felt so free in my life," he paused and released her from his grip taking a step back.

"Don't try to deny that the Queen controls you," Sarah dared imply after recovering herself.

"And that is part of the reason as to why I am here. But I should thank you first."

"For?"

"If you hadn't foiled our plan, Ghost and I would still be drones doing the Queen's bidding."

That caught Sarah's attention. Was he trying to confuse her? Was this part of their new plan? Was the Queen at that hive and they were buying her time? She needed these answers.

"You are at odds with the Queen?"

He nodded. "Let's just say we want her as dead as you do."

"I don't believe you," Sarah retorted.

"I don't expect you to," he replied. "Either way, this is my offer. I will allow you and the other Priests to follow our tracks towards finding the Queen. Or, you could continue the search in groups and whoever gets to the Queen first keeps her head as a trophy."

If anything it only sounded like a trap to her, however, she wondered why they weren't taking advantage of their separation as groups. If they wanted to bring them to the Queen to be turned, as she initially suspected, then it would be easier to just take them right there, after all they had easily knocked out Micah and Gabriela, and she was shamed to admit that Ghost had dealt a good beating on her. Perhaps Lucas was being truthful, she pondered.

"Think it through and inform Isaac if you will," he instructed her and turned on his heel to leave, Ghost and the Neophyte human-vampire stepping up into one of the corridors.

She watched as the women disappeared in the shadows but she followed Black with an uncertain gaze. Her bottled up emotions began to pour through and she hesitated for a moment, taking a cautionary step forward.

"Wait!" she called out before he disappeared in the shadows. She hesitated because she had missed him so much more than she had let Isaac know. No amount of training could mentally prepare her to face her former friend like she had today.

He stopped in his tracks and gazed at her over his shoulder waiting for what she had to say. Yet she said nothing, she forced herself to be restrained. She had to strong.

He scoffed at her hesitation and turned away from her, but not before giving her a word of advice. "Doubt is good, despite what the Church might tell you. It was with doubt that I took my first step towards breaking my bonds with the Queen."

With that he was gone, leaving Sarah alone to wonder on that thought. It scared her not because it implied a rebellion, but because she considered he might just be right. After all, they were out here in the Wastelands hunting the Queen not on orders from the Church but from their own conviction to protect humanity in general. To say the least, every Priest and Priestess was having a lot of doubts lately.

* * *

><p>"It's empty, eh," Jo announced, emerging out of the hive to the surface to meet with Black and Ghost. "No sign of movement anywhere."<p>

Black nodded, acknowledging his niece's commentary. "Not even Guardians stayed to watch over the hive. She's really taking this hiding seriously."

Ghost sighed in frustration, walking alongside Black and Jo as they made their way down the mountain. "If anything she should know the Priests are hot on her tail-"

"A Soldier!" Jo suddenly exclaimed pointing down to a neo-vampire that was escaping out through one of the lower tunnels. She reacted before Black and Ghost did, running at top speed down the mountain and giving hot chase to the creature. Black and Ghost followed, splitting up to cut off the Soldier's possible escape routes. They couldn't afford to let it escape, if anything it could alert the Queen that they are hunting her down as well. Yet, Jo proved to be a rather fast vampire, catching up readily to the neo-vampire. With a leap forward she caught the monster's hind legs and the two became entangled in a power struggle. Black and Ghost quickly caught up, but their intervention proved unnecessary as Jo managed to decapitate the creature, throwing the head aside.

"Nice kill," Black remarked.

Ghost nodded and added, "Not bad for a first try."

Jo smirked at the couple and set out wipe her hands clean of the blood. "I can't deny that was fuckin' exciting. I've never hunted a prey that fast."

Their small conversation was cut off short when they heard the roar of a bike approaching fast. The three of them quickly stood alert and it was not long before they saw a mounted figure approaching. The biker raised his hand as if acknowledging their presence and as he came closer into view they instantly recognized him.

"Joon-Baek!" Jo exclaimed, waving her arms before the elder vampire skidded to a stop a few yards away from them.

Joon-Baek dismounted the bike and walked towards them, removing his goggles as he did so. "Don't look too excited, kid. Nicoletta is going to be furious when you go back, she'll completely chew you out," he declared with a hint of humor once he stopped before them. "You're just lucky that I convinced her to stay in charge of the city."

"How did you find us?" Ghost was quick to ask.

Joon-Baek tapped his nose. "Scent. But what's more important is that I believe I know where your Queen is hiding. When I left the Cities with the other vampire leaders we happened to see a group of neo-vamp Soldiers moving towards the Southern Wastelands. If Ramla is right then I suspect the Queen might be seeking out the Empress."

"The Empress is your problem, we'll deal with the Queen," Black announced and looked to Ghost whom nodded once in agreement.

"As previously agreed, I pose no objections," Joon-Baek offered them a smirk. "I suggest we get a move on then."


End file.
